


A Forbidden Love

by Thewomanwhocounts (Lovelymissmolly)



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Marriage, Minor Character Death, Parental Abuse, Physical Abuse, Violence, originally a role play, will be updated as the role play continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-26
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:59:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 24,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6040837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelymissmolly/pseuds/Thewomanwhocounts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a Roleplay between Sherlockfanstoriesandrp and I on Tumblr. It is currently on going so i have no idea where it is going.</p><p>But basically Lady Molly falls for Slave Sherlock and she does something about it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As this is a Roleplay it is disjointed in some ways. But I adore the Sherlock who I roleplay with so I was not willing to change how it is written in her replys or in mine :D I hope you guys enjoy this story either way.

Molly shielded the flame on her candle as she walked down the dark hallway towards the slaves quarter’s. She knew that what she was doing was forbidden  by well… everyone but she couldn’t help that her heart belonged to a young slave that her parents owned. The boy was barely older than her, Molly being barely sixteen, but as sixteen was the marrying age for most nobility it scared her that she could be torn from William and married off to a horrible man.  
But on this cold winters night, Molly could think only of getting William out of his cold room and back to hers where he would at least not die from the cold. Slipping into his room, she covered him with a spare blanket she had gotten from her room and gently nudged him. “William, wake up and come with me, we need to get you warm.”  
\----  
The place was indeed freezing. The stone walls were so cold that the weakest or sick slaves were starting to die.  
Normally the owners would try to take care of them since they were expensive, but this family was very rich and had many slaves, if a few died, they wouldn’t care.  
William slowly woke up, shaking, so cold.  
“…?”  
The sheet relieved his skin so much, normally white, now so dirty  
“My lady….what are you doing here….? No…take me? It is….against the rules…and…”  
He moved his leg, his foot with a chain, not allowing him to stand.  
“A key is needed….*cough*”  
He knew he wouldn’t resist that night. It was getting colder and colder and he was already so thin because of the hard work during the day and the house work during the night.  
“…”  
He indeed wanted to leave that hell.

\---

“I don’t care about the rules William, I would rather you do not die. “Molly fumbled around in her pockets until she found the key. She then made quick work of the manacle, pulling it from his ankle and carefully rubbing at it to get circulation back into it.  
“Come now William, my room is much warmer and there are plenty of hiding spots if I need to hide you but I must warm you before you freeze and I have food for you as well.” She wrapped her arms under his armpits and proceeded to lift him carefully to his feet. “Can you walk William, It is only a short distance to my room and then you will have a warm bed to sleep on as well hmm. Come now William.” she said as she started to led him out of the cold room.  
\----  
“Right…I can’t…take it any more anyway…”  
He stood, allowing her to guide him.  
Inside open cells, other prisoners would sleep, others looked sick and fainted. Almost no one was able to remain awake in that cold.  
“F…food…? You mean…a portion of corn? Or….maybe a few seeds…?”  
William asked. He would eat normally only once a day, sometimes he would get food from dinner rests since he was a domestic servant as well.  
“Lady….you weren’t even supposed to touch me…I’m…too dirty…”  
His eyes were almost closing as he walked.  
The sheet starting to feel so comfortable around his still cold skin, he was starting to react to the cold.  
“Why are you doing this…? Why me? Is it because I’m the one who takes care of….ungh…the part of the castle you live in?”  
He continued to breath heavily, hugging his arms.  
“…you…is that because you like my services? Or…because I’m expensive…?”  
Sherlock was trying to find a reason. Why would she be helping him?  
\----  
Molly looked around at all the other slaves, wishing she could do something to help them. maybe if she talked to her father about their living conditions, maybe she could get them better conditions because at the moment it was just wrong, so wrong.  
“No its a bit more than that, I got you some bread and some meat…do you think you can stomach that?” She asked nervously. “Oh William please don’t tell me what I can and cannot do, I am trying to help you, because … because I like you…” She blushed brightly, pulling Sherlock into her room when they got to the door.  
She led him over to a little stool in the corner of her room which was sat next to a still warm basin of water. she sat him carefully down and the picked up a cloth.  
“Will you allow me to clean uh well you?”  
\----  
When she sat him, his eyes closed for a moment. He was so tired. And there was a fireplace in there, he was so glad.  
It was hard for him even to move now since his body was finally relaxing, still feeling a bit numb.  
“Meat…?”  
His eyes widened.  
“You mean…real food?”  
He slowly hugged his legs and rested his head on his knees.  
“You’re doing this…to keep me alive…because you…like me…?”  
He closed his eyes again, now feeling so better because of the warm water.  
William would take some water with both hands and try to warm the rest of his body, but he was so weak he just slid to the side and rested in there, his chest facing the floor, the water covering half his body.  
An almost silent moan would come out.

\---  
Molly frowned when he widened his eyes and called it real food like he had never had real food in his life and he likely had not. “Yes, real food… you don’t get much more than seeds normally don’t you?”  
She carefully helped him to strip out of his filthy clothes and set herself on a mission to scrub him clean. So with a cloth, she rung hot water out over the part of his body which was not covered by the water and slowly, layer by layer got rid of the filth that had been caked on his skin. Cupping her hands, she then moved onto wetting his hair, massaging in her own special products until it was clean.  
“Um William… have I missed any spots that you still need to be cleaned in?” She asked with a blush. “And yes, I am doing this because I like you … I don’t want anything to happen to any of the other slaves but I like you so I am doing what I can to keep you alive and well. Oh and once you have finished, I have a dressing gown you can wear.”  
\----  
Sherlock had gotten so relaxed as he felt the hot water all over him, that he wasn’t even moving.  
“So I was lucky then.”  
He said, so low and with his eyes closed.  
“Normally I just have seeds and that last part of dinner your family doesn’t eat. I have some of that whenever I get to clean the kitchen.”  
He explained as she asked.  
“I don’t know your intentions…or why you ended up liking me the most…but…please don’t…I just…can’t take any more…at least not like this…I can’t even stand properly…”  
He hugged his chest, as if wanting to protect his self from being touched.  
“T…thank you for cleaning me…b…but I would prefer to do it myself…now…”  
He took the cloth from her hand slowly and started cleaning his legs and wherever was still dirty.  
It was ironic, because when there was a party or event, the rich family would give William the best clothes and perfumes for him to serve the guests and organize the house since he used to have a good looking impression for eating more diversified food while cleaning the kitchen. But for the same reason, when the house was in place, he would be put to work with harder services, like cleaning and building, and that would ruin his health, until he would finally be put in the kitchen again, this cycle making he survive every time he was about to faint.  
“I thought it was obvious what I eat. For God’s sake, aren’t you one of my owners??”  
He had a burn mark by his neck, it was a symbol like an “H”, maybe showing he was property of the Hooper family.  
William turned to the other side, so she wouldn’t see him cleaning himself.  
“Sometimes you’re all so annoying…so cruel and suddenly you’re giving me expensive clothes and taking care of me. I don’t…I really don’t understand…”  
Now that she had mentioned food, real food, it was almost insupportable to resist hunger.  
“Uhghnn….”  
He was finally done, finally clean, but he just remained still, enjoying the hot water.  
\----  
Molly looked away apologetically, ashamed of her actions. “I am sorry William…” She let the cloth slip out of her hand into his and turned away to give him privacy.  
She turned around at his mention of her being one of his owners, she didn’t consider herself that, but she supposed she was because her parents were the owners of them which made Molly even more ashamed and sick to her stomach. When she saw the brand on his neck in the shape of an H Molly really did think that she was going to be sick, this was so wrong.  
“I-I, I don’t want to own slaves, my parents are the ones behind all that happens and I cannot do anything about it, I hate the way they treat you all,, I didn’t know you only had seeds for food, that is completely wrong, you should at least be given decent food and living… when my parents die… I will do everything in my power to give you all what you need… and you won’t be slaves, I will not keep slaves, never never never.” She said shaking her head. Her parents were so cruel and she knew this first hand, which would be evident from the bruises on her upper arms which luckily could not be seen.  
She had turned away again to give him his privacy, placing a towel and dressing gown beside the bath without looking and sat down on her bed turned away from him. “There is food on the table for you once you are ready for it.”  
\----  
William paused and just looked at her as she spoke.  
He finally started to know that lady, one of the daughters of the rich family.  
“No…it is fine. You’re just trying to help…you’re…different from them.”  
Sherlock dried himself slowly since his body was still aching a bit. Then he wore the dressing gown.  
“Erm…my lady…you…you don’t need to…stay that far…I apologize if I offended your noble ego…you may come and interact with my person if you wish…I’m the servant one, not you…”  
He spoke in a slight ironic tone of voice.  
Then slowly he stood and walked to the table.  
When he saw the food, his eyes widened, more than before.  
“Food…real food….ah how it smells…”  
William gave the food a long sniff.  
“Are you sure I can eat this? Oh, and by the way, if your parents bother, just say you required my services…”  
His legs got tired and he sat on the bed.  
“Uhnm…thank you. But…could you help me to eat?”  
He was feeling better, and treating Molly more normally. It felt great because she wasn’t like the others.  
“You know…you were the first person to ever…respect and…help me like this…so…thanks. If you…ask your father to make me your personal servant, maybe they won’t put me in the hard work…that would be great. I mean, if you like me, that would be the best to do…”  
\---  
“Its not fine William, the way my family treats you, honestly some days  I think they should get a taste of their own medicine because they treat you  like animals, I mean SEED for goodness sake, that is not real food. Oh uh sorry for the outburst, I find myself being rather unladylike at the moment.”She sighed and ran a hand down her face.  
Molly chuckled and shook her head. “You have not upset my noble ego at all William, it would take a lot more to upset mine unlike my parents, I was just giving you the privacy you deserve especially since how I manhandled you when you fist got in here.”  
She nodded and sidled over to where William sat, breaking up the bread and lamb into small bite size pieces, speared the fork with a bit of each and raised it to his mouth. “Eat it slowly as I do not want you getting sick… this may be a little much for you but I want you to try.” She smiled softly at him and nodded. “That had been my plan William. That’s why I thought a good wash and food and sleep would be in order for you and tomorrow I will take you with me to my father and ask if you can be my personal servant… well I will demand actually which should work when it comes to my father, I mean because I rarely ask anything of him so hopefully he will accept me this one request that I ask of him… It would mean you would have proper rooms of your own and a bed…would that be acceptable to you?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Acceptable? That would be heaven! Do you know how I suffer as…argh. Leave it.”  
When she smiled slightly, he smiled a bit too. Oh he didn’t smile for so long and now there he was.  
“I sleep in a stone cold room and eat cold corn or seeds, I have to work with hard and tiring tasks, I basically wear old and dirty clothes, on rare occasions I dress with something more like your clothes and clean the house, serve guests and…w…well, they end up doing whatever they want to me. Once they put an apple on my head and tried to hit it with an arrow…”  
He breathed.  
“So, well, becoming a personal servant would be something…not that bad. Well, it could be if you were cruel…but you don’t seem to be. I mean…bed…”  
He looked to the bed he was sitting.  
“The last time I was in one was when a guest wanted to have fun with me. Gladly her son broke a vase so she left me and went back to search for the kid.”  
He followed with his eyes the food Molly had speared with the fork.  
“And…if you become my…owner…people will just use me if you allow them to. And that’s the same with orders. Even if someone else ordered me to do something, they would have to ask you first. And I would be glad! I promise I’ll be a nice servant…I’ll clean and…serve you as you wish. Just….”  
William sighed.  
“Just protect me…”  
He bit the food and started to munch it.  
“….*nhoc….oh….my…*nhoc*”  
Sherlock just grabbed the other bread with his hand and started to eat, so fast.  
\---  
Molly shook her head and smiled at him again. “I would not be cruel… I promise I will never ever do anything cruel to you or allow any one else to do anything to you. No man or Woman will take advantage of you, I promise.”  
She watched him carefully, admiring him without realizing that she was starting to stare. She blushed and looked away before she had to pull the plate of food away from him. “William, you have to eat slowly please, I do not want you to get sick and if you eat like that you will get sick, your stomach cannot handle this food properly because you rarely get it. So please just eat slow.”  
She moved the plate back in front of him, smiling softly. “So well as my personal servant and well in a way, my bodyguard your jobs would be things such as saddling my horse before I go for a ride and to accompany me on said rides I am not going with a party of people. I have a personal maid who does all my clothing requirements and hair… all the really personal things. but basically I want you around to protect me when I am alone, and I already have a set of rooms for you… my maid has the ones on the left of this room and you will have the one on the right… I am starting to ramble now am I not, best if I stop talking I think… but I just want to say, I hope we can be somewhat friends, I don’t have very many as well I prefer to have my nose in a book rather hen gossiping.”  
\----  
He stopped swallowing the food the way he was, panting slightly.  
“I…I apologize…I…you’re correct…”  
Sherlock slowly took another piece of bread and continued to eat, slowly this time, but still willing so much to just attack all that food.  
“So there are two rooms inside your room. One for a maid and one for me. Great. The closest to you, the safest I will be.”  
He smirked slightly and continued to eat, his arms eventually getting tired again.  
“The trick to eat seeds…is to smash them first…so the teeth won’t break….but this bread…is so soft and…look at this…white little flour over it…awwnmm…just…look it…I still don’t believe this…this is heaven already…”  
He was resting his arms a bit, listening to her.  
“Friends? Ah…sure. I can be anything you want! Anything to live here on the surface! Anything, lady. I do know how to fight, just give me a sword. And I can ride horses too. What was your name again by the way? Hooper what? What’s your name?”  
He grabbed more food and started to munch again.  
Holding a bread with both hands, he rolled on the bed, munching it and enjoying it.  
“*munch* Beeed….beeeeeeed….!! *nhoc nhoc*”  
William curled into a ball on the bed and continued to eat.  
“Tell me more about you, lady.”

\---

“No need to apologize, I just would rather you are not sick… Yes and the safest I will be, It is rare but men have tried to get into my chambers and have their way with me, none have succeeded but I would feel safer as well with you close.”  
She smiled and looked at the food. “I am glad it pleases you, you deserve better treatment then you have received from my family thus far… I just wish I could help everyone that my parents keep as slaves.” She sighed sadly and fiddled with her nightgown.   
“Well I will give you a full list of your duties once my father allows your position which I will make him approve…Oh uh my name? I am Lady Margaret Rose Hooper. I am  the only child of Lady and Lord Hooper, the masters of the castle…and you probably know that part already…”  
“When you feel tired William, you have my permission to sleep on the bed as long as you are alright with me sleeping on the other side. My maid knew I was bringing you here tonight so she will wake us both in the morning.”  
She looked up at him surprised.” You want to know about me? I uh well. I like to read and I am fascinated by medical books, if it was possible  I would love to be a female Doctor but that is not going to happen, I am certain of that but really there is not much to know about me…I must say though I would much rather have been born a boy. My father would be happy and so would my mother, she blames me for her inability to conceive any more children… she is rather bitter about it.”  She rubbed her upper arms absent-mindedly, the area where she was bruised.  
\----  
“Only child? I thought you had sisters. Who are all those people that I have to serve and that are always riding horses and having tea? Your cousins? Aunts? This castle is big and there are a lot of…people. I thought…you had brothers and sisters.”  
He continued to munch the bread, loving it.  
“Yeah, I’ll protect you, don’t worry. I’ll stay close all the time, Marg….argh your name is weird…I’ll just call you Lady Rose. Is that fine?”  
Sherlock was already starting to like her, friendship was starting to be born.  
“Oh…erm…and…don’t worry about men…I won’t let them near this room and I won’t attack you myself.”  
He raised the bread he was eating.  
“Promise.”  
Seconds later, the bread was no more and he sat, approaching the food again.  
“Uhnm….what should I grab next…?”  
William sat closer to Rose, giving her a rather cute smile, then taking another bread.  
“Fluffy….uhhmmm….oh, by the way, why do you keep touching your arms like that?”  
He adjusted his dressing gown so it would be in place again.  
“What’s on your arm? *munch*”

\---

 

“Yes, only child. Well my father does have bastards but I am not allowed to consider them  siblings because to my mother they are nothing more then ants on her shoes. I have been punished for spending time with them before… uh so some of them are my siblings soft of but most of them are my  cousins and aunties, most of them live here for some reason.” She rubbed her arm when she said the word punished.  
Molly nodded and smiled shyly at William. “You can call me Lady Rose  or um well I liked to be called Molly… you could call me that?”  
“I am grateful for your promise William and I trust in it, so thank you … oh you can choose what you like, the food is there for you to eat. “She smiled back at him.  
“Do I? I didn’t realize… uh no reason William … well actually.” She rolled up the sleeve on her nightdress and closed her eyes. She rolled it up until William would be able to see the yellow and purple bruises covering her upper arm. “My Mother likes to punish insolence… well what she considers insolence.”  
\----  
William’s face looked a bit sad when he saw the marks on her arm.  
“Oh…your mother hits you? That’s…bad…”  
He looked away from her arm.  
“Mine sold me to merchants when I was a kid…  
She always wanted a girl…and when she finally gave birth to one…she sold me so she and my father would have a nice life.”  
He smiled a bit, sadly.  
“I guess we weren’t that lucky when it comes to mothers…”  
Sherlock was starting to feel something for that girl. It felt like family, she was treating him so well…  
“Well…*munch* I guess…ahn…we can count on each other from now on. I promise I’ll do my best to keep you safe and…just do the same and I’ll be in conditions to help.  
William ate more of the food, until there was no more.  
"Uhnm…I’m still hungry…do you have more?”  
He adjusted his dressing gown, pulling it a bit to cover his legs better since it wasn’t too long.  
“Well…if I become yours…we’ll be able to stay with each other all the time and no one will bother. Oh, you have no idea of how I wish a life like…like this.”  
He showed the room and the bed.  
Sherlock then looked at her.  
“Right, Molly?”  
His dressing gown slipped down from his right shoulder, what made he put it in place again at the same time.  
He looked at her again.  
“Right?”  
\----  
“Yes… it is but it is still better than being sold into slavery … that is just wrong… I am sorry for that…but we are alike in that sense, My mother wanted a boy, a male heir to give my father but she is unable to so well even though I am pushed aside, well she has not pushed me aside as much as she would have had she had a boy after me.” 

She smiled softly at him and patted him on the shoulder. “I promise to keep you protected, and when I make a promise I keep it.”  
Rummaging round in her dressing gown, she pulled out a shiny apple from a pocket and held it out to him. “I uh this  is all I have sorry, there will be breakfast for you in the morning though William, so hopefully this will keep you satisfied until then.”  
She saw the soft clean skin of his shoulder and her mind went blank, except for the image of her wrapped in his strong arms, being held gently. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she looked up and smiled at William. “Yes William, that is right.” Suddenly a yawn caught her off guard and she rubbed her eyes sleepily.  
“William, are you alright if I sleep now… you can put out the light when you are ready to sleep but I can barely keep my eyes open now. Also you are welcome to sleep on the other side of my bed tonight. I shall have your room set up for you tomorrow, to your liking of course.”  
\----  
He smirked and shook his head when he noticed how Molly was daydreaming there for a moment.  
“It is amazing how you don’t give me orders.”  
When she pulled out the apple, he took it slowly, still listening to her, and started to eat it.  
When she mentioned he could rest on her bed, he was already munching the seeds. He ate the apple completely.  
“*GULP* I’m done. Thanks…oh I’m anxious for breakfast…”  
William rested on the other half of the bed, pulling the dressing gown so it would cover his legs, which he was hugging.  
“Thanks for saving me…and thanks for not ordering me to do…things I don’t want to do…”  
He smiled slightly and closed his eyes.  
Good night…Lady Rose…arhnm…M…Molly. If you need something or require my services…just let me know. Good night…princess.“  
He then went quiet and just tried to sleep once the room was dark. There was just the fireplace, by the other side of that huge room, filled with things he didn’t even know what they were.  
It was a lot warmer now, so much more than the cold stone dirty rooms in the underground.  
\---  
“Well I think you should treat others the way you want to be treated and I do not want to be ordered around so I do not order people around.” She said with a shrug of her shoulders.  
She slipped in under the blankets and pulled them up to cover just above her breasts. Chuckling she turned on her side and looked at him. “I knew you would be, but there isn’t too long before we break our fast so sleep will help I am certain.”  
Rolling over onto her other side, she closed her eyes and snuggled into her mattress. “You are welcome William and I would never ask you to do something you are not willing to do, remember that and please do remind me if I ever ask anything of you which you would prefer not to do.”   
She smiled to herself when he called her princess, it sounded beautiful coming from his lips. Mumbling in a near inaudible tone as she fell asleep. “Its warmer under the blankets William.”  
\----  
“You mean I can use the blankets? Well, fine.”  
Sherlock pulled the blanket slowly, but he noticed it would start to uncover Molly, what made him stop.  
“Uhnm…”  
Then he just raised the blankets and rolled to under it.  
“Tell me if you think I’m too close.”  
He was curling like a ball, his hair almost touching her back slightly.  
“It is so fluffy in here.”  
Sherlock was completely under the covers now.  
“And it is warm too.”  
“…”  
“Fine, I’ll sleep now. Good night.”  
He waited a bit then tried to sleep again.  
“Wake me up if anyone bother.”  
“…”  
“…good night.”  
“…”  
“….I love you, new owner.”  
“…”  
“…”  
“Night.”  
*roooonc*  
“Uhnm….ignore that. I’m dreaming about the breakfast.!  
”…“  
He finally started to nap, smiling happily about his new life..

\---  
Molly nodded slowly.  “Yes, of course William.”  
She pulled the blanket back over herself and over William in the same movement, enjoying the feel of his hair against her back, feeling remarkably safe having him sharing a bed with her.  
“Good night William, sleep well…”  
She whispered to herself when she heard him say I love you. “I love you too William.” She rolled over and looked at him when he finally fell asleep, a content smile on her face at being able to protect him before she rolled back over and fell into a deep sleep, only to wake when the sun rose above the hills and shone through a crack in her curtains.  
“William, it is time to wake up, we must get you looking decent before I take you with me to my father to ask his permission… for you to be my servant.” She said softly, trying to wake him slowly.


	3. Chapter 3

And slowly he woke up, a bit lost, not knowing where he was. After he sat and opened his eyes, he remembered everything that had happened.  
“Uhnm…hi. Princess. Lady Rose. No…Molly.”  
His dressing gown was all messed up, down to his waist when he moved.  
“Oh right…correct…today is very important…”  
Sherlock rubbed his eyes.  
“Well…and there is breakfast…I’m willing to have breakfast since I’m still hungry.”  
He took the dressing gown and pulled it up again, covering his shoulders.  
“I feel as if I had slept in heaven…uh nm…this is so soft…I want to sleep the whole day…”  
William finally stood, feeling his body so clean felt to nice.  
He yawned and smiled cutely while looking to Molly.  
“I am awake and standing. What now, Lady Rose?”  
He slipped his hand into his dressing gown, scratching his ribs a bit, feeling so light.  
“It is amazingly fresh this mourning…”  
Then William hugged his chest a bit.  
“A bit…cold actually…and…your room is big.”

\----

Molly sat up in her night dress and smiled brightly at him. “Good morning William.”  
She giggled and sat their slightly dazed seeing his bare skin again, god he was gorgeous. She turned away and blushed before clearing her throat and turning back to him. “The maid will be bringing enough for both of us to eat very soon, so best if you get dressed. I had her leave some clothes for you on the table before she went to get breakfast, so if you would like to get dressed before breakfast well you can… It should help you get warm”  
Molly smiled and rubbed her shoulder gently. “I will  turn away so you can get dressed in privacy. I must wait until my maid is back so she can help me dress.” She turned away and blushed again, having seen the bare skin of his chest when he scratched his ribs.  
\----  
Sherlock smirked again when he noticed how Molly was blushing.  
That was so naive, so childish to his eyes.  
He shook his head once more and just removed his dressing gown, throwing it over the bed.  
William was feeling a lot better, lighter, knowing Molly probably would never be a threat for him. Oh and it was so funny to see her trying to be so formal, being so young and innocent at the same time.  
“These clothes…?”  
He took the garments and started to observe them.  
“This is…a really…noble…thing. It is a suit…there is even a sword…”  
Sherlock giggled.  
“You give me privacy. Oh, you little princess…you really impress me. I thank you.”  
Sherlock shook his head again, being a bit ironic since he recognized she was good indeed, but thought that being a slave was something so wrong at the same time.  
“Is this a jabot…? I’m not wearing this complicated one…I prefer this straight one…and gladly I don’t have to wear one of those hats with a feather…”  
He started to wear the shirt, slowly checking its parts.  
“It is really well made…like those they used to wear me with in special occasions…”  
After some time, he finally got dressed, adjusted his clothes and then his hair.  
“Natural curls. This makes me look actually…one of the noble ones…when I’m clean and dressed like this…doesn’t it?”  
He giggled and posed a bit showing off about his new conditions.  
“A lot better than being in the underground…I feel so…*deep breath* better.”  
**rooooonc**  
“Uhhhhgghhnmm….I’m hungry…dear future owner…feed me or I’ll get weak…”  
He joked.  
“So, how do I look? Do I look expensive? Or…maybe I look like a noble myself? You can’t see the mark on my neck when I’m wearing this thing.  
He was so gorgeous. Even the ladies could think he was a rich someone from somewhere as he was wearing like that.  
\----

She could not help but take a quick peek when William was so blatantly getting changed in front of her. “You are welcome William, I am glad they fit you.”  
Molly sat on the bed turned away for the rest of the time until he was fully dressed which was when she turned back around and stared in awe at the image in front of her. He looked like nobility, actually if she had to be honest he looked like royalty but she would never say that out loud for fear of retribution.  
“Uh… Uhhumm You look very much like nobility, you will fit in at my side very easily, they won’t even realize you are my servant I am guessing but you look very handsome… Wait a moment and food will arrive.” She licked and bit her bottom lip as she continued to stare at him until the maid returned with the food consisting of two plates of fruit and bread.   
“I hope this food will suffice William, I will join you to eat in a short while, I must get dressed myself first.” She motioned for her maid to come and help her as she stared to strip, ending up butt naked standing by the bed before her maid helped her into her restricting under clothes and then pulled the dress on, lacing the back tightly until she could barely breathe. She then sat on the bed as her maid plaited her hair and placed it in a bun at the back of her head before she was able to join William again and slowly eat.  
\----  
He agreed and just sat turned to the other side, having the bread of his plate.  
Sherlock would just listen to the noises of the clothes being put and pulled.  
“(Oh that thing she’s wearing probably is really tight…)”  
He finished eating the bread and now aimed at the fruits.  
First an apple, then an orange.  
There was still another apple to go.  
“Bleagh…I want more bread…and meat and…urgnm…isn’t this a rich man’s castle? Why is there just fruits and plain bread…?’  
He was starting to want more.  
Oh, she was taking long to get dressed….he just ate the apple, the remaining one from his plate.  
When he finished eating, he started to Molly’s plate, oh, he wanted to eat that bread so much…but he didn’t touch it since it was hers.  
"Tell me this is just a warm up for the breakfast….there is more, right…?”  
*rrrrooooooooonnnnnccccc*  
“Argh…”  
William touched his stomach.  
“Princess….I need more food….or I’ll starve while dreaming about meant and…those sweets everyone talks about and…the the….the beans and….uh nm….”  
*ROOOOOONNNC*  
“…*sniff*…*frustrated*…”  
Sherlock sat again and just waited Molly to go back.  
“Argh…why do they need to dress her like a doll? Sheesh…let the girl breath…”  
Molly bit back a retort as her maid pulled tightly once more before tying off the lacing. Moving as fast as she could, Molly sat down next to William and passed him her bread. “I am sorry this is all even we have for breakfast, but you may have my bread and I promise to get you more food, including meat after we have finished with my father but you need to be patient and also I will find you some sweets as well William.”  
She bit into her apple and ate it slowly, struggling to breathe properly in the position she was sitting in, so she only took small bites. “So… William are you really okay with being my personal servant. I mean I know it is a step up from being a slave and oh I almost forgot, I have a small allowance of money for you, as your own money, as in it is pay for the work you shall be doing…but uh anyway… are you really okay with being my servant?”  
\----  
He kept staring her as if that clothing she was wearing was so weird.  
“Ugh…*deep breath* seeing you like that makes me lose my own breath…sorry, you were saying…”  
William continued to listen to her.  
“Wait…no this bread is yours…”  
He gave it back to her.  
“I was just…joking, that’s all. Of course I can wait. And of course I’m fine being your personal servant…bodyguard…whatever you want to call me. Wait…you’ll pay me? W…what for? That could be trouble…they could think I stole the rich man’s money or something…just food and a nice bed is fine…well…services. When you mention services…I can do a lot of things…play musical instruments…ride horses…and I also know a lot about science. I normally read a lot when I get to clean the library…and…well, I can clean too…arhnm….just tell me what you want me to do.”  
He looked sincere.  
“Now we’re going to talk to your father, right? What is he exactly? A noble? Or…a rich? Ah, before you ask, I’m 21 and…my name is William Sherlock Scott Holmes. I mean, my full name, obviously. Call me as you wish, princess.”  
*rooooonc*  
“…”  
“…”  
“….you really won’t eat that bread…right?”

\----

Molly chuckled softly. “Be glad you are not wearing this dress, it will take your breath completely away.” she joked. She passed the bread back to William and shook her head. “The bread is for you, you need I more than I and fruit is enough for me, especially in this dress.”  
“oh I never thought about that… uh well, when ever we are out, if you find something you like, well then I shall buy it for you, that is including clothing.” She twiddled her thumbs before looking up surprised.   
“You know science? could you, I mean would you be willing to teach me some, I am fascinated by it and well, I want to learn but any time I tried to read the sciences in the library, well my mother would punish me, that is actually what happened when I got my most recent bruises… Oh and well there are other things I will need your help with but I will give you a list once we have talked to my father.”  
“I won’t eat the bread, you need it more than me… uh which name would you be preferred to be called?”  
\----  
“William is fine. Call me as you wish…I don’t mind, princess.”  
He took the bread and bit it, closing his eyes, loving the flavour.  
“Uhnnm….this is heaven….uhnmmm….oh….umnn….”  
In a minute, the bread was almost gone completely.  
“I’m not a scientist, I just read a few books while I was cleaning the place or repairing books. Actually, when they assign me a place to fix, I have to clean it, order it and fix anything that is broken. If it is impossible to fix, well, they just take it away and replace it.”  
William swallowed the last piece.  
“Well now, if you buy me things and I keep them in my room…that would be great. I could buy books and you could study them here, in privacy. If anyone asked, you could just say you were looking what I have been reading to keep me in control or something…or even justify my actions saying I have to improve myself to improve my services….someday in history…people will do that. Believe me.”  
He smirked slightly, satisfied.  
“So…let’s talk to your father. Remember to pretend to treat me like….erm…what I am, so your father will think there is no bond between us. Be creative, well, it is your father.”  
Sherlock stood and took a deep breath.  
“I can go. Tell me when you’re ready.”  
\---  
“Well in public I will call you William, but if there is another name you prefer, I will gladly call you that in private. Oh and to answer your previous question, yes my father and mother and by extension I, are nobility, to be specific my father is the Earl of Northumberland so you address my mother and father as Lord and Lady Hooper.”  
She smiled and pushed herself up to standing. “We shall talk about the idea f books and such later William, but for now we must met my father. I am glad you are ready because I am not… Uh also, I apologize in advance for the way I have to treat you in my fathers presence, I will be rather cruel… now come, we better get a move on as my father is expecting us and it pays not to be late. also I just wanted to say, you play the part of a noble well.” She kissed him on the cheek quickly before gesturing for him to follow her to the room with her father in it.  
\----  
He listened to her with attention.  
“Right. You’ll treat me bad.”  
Sherlock gave her a small nod and now would follow Molly whenever she went to.  
“Fine….lady and lord Hooper…I’ll make sure to not mess up with that…”  
He touched his own cheek after Molly kissed it, looking impressed at first and letting out a cute smile after that.  
“Erm…it is fine to hit me and say bad names if necessary…when you…pretend to treat me like trash….I’ll know you’re pretending…so don’t worry.”  
He smiled to himself again.  
Oh something was being born. At first he just wanted to use the fact Molly liked him to have a better life, but she was so different from the others….she wouldn’t do bad things to him…and even kissed his cheek. Who would have done that to a slave? His heart was starting to be conquered, slowly.  
\----  
Molly flinched at the mention of having to hit him. “Yes but I will still feel bad because I hate treating anyone like that, so just know that I apologize in advance deeply for everything I do, now come on.” She grabbed his hand, linking his arm with hers and led him down the corridors until they found her father’s work chambers.  
Tentatively Molly knocked on the door and before she could announce herself, Lord Hooper spoke. “Enter Margaret and lets get on with this business.” Entering the chamber she gestured for William to follow behind her. She curtsied to her father, bowing her head as she did so. “Father.”  
“Rise my child, there is no need to bow, now why are you here at this hour of the morning?”  
“Excuse me father, I would like to ask for this slave to become my personal servant.” She said as gestured back at William.  
“And why my dear would you need a personal servant my dear?”  
“Well father… I have been getting a bit of unwanted attention recently and Well I would like to use William as a sort of body guard for me, he will accompany me on my rides and basically every where I go … I only ask because it has been some of your soldiers that have been giving the attention, they are not the only ones but I would feel safer if I had a body guard.”  
Lord Hooper frowned and eyes William up and down. “Young man, you certainly look like you would blend in next to my daughter but what makes you think you would be able to protect my daughter?”  
\----  
He bowed when Molly did. Sherlock’s heart was beating so fast he thought he was going to faint.  
Oh that man had a so strong aura.  
“(He’s looking at me…oh…he just spoke to me…argh…I didn’t think this was going to be so difficult…!)”  
“I don’t think I can protect your daughter, my lord. I am sure of it. Long years of hard work provided me strength…”  
“(Even if it doesn’t look like at all because I’m not that big…I’m thin and definitely not that strong…erm…)”  
“…and because of that I developed my own fighting skills, that would be enough to take down any intruder before he would even notice. Another aspects are my knowledge of general science, my capacity of reading, writing and creating that grant me a unique intelligence which I can apply in direct and indirect combat.”  
He gulped.  
“And…my appearance as you, my lord, can see, is acceptable and allows me to be a nice public company for your daughter. And…the more important…is that I might not be the strongest man of this castle…but your noble daughter saved my life, so…I own her my life and therefore, I would never betray her…because differently from you, my noble supreme highest lord, who left me to starve and freeze…your daughter made sure this servant didn’t die without serving this noble family properly and…now it is my chance….to prove that she deserves my services….until the last day of my life. Oh and I can prove I’m capable. I could even…even…fight anyone you bring here, my lord, to *gulp* show my skills.”  
“(I have never been SO SO SO IRONIC in my entire life.)”

\----  
Molly flinched when she heard William say that her father left him to die in the cold, even though it was true she had no idea how her father would react to such words coming from someone he would consider still a slave.  
Lord Hooper’s eyes widened slightly but barely enough that they could see the change, his jaw twitched as he considered the boy in front of him and then his daughter.   
“I believe you William, and because you seem to truly owe my daughter a debt of gratitude, I shall grant her request and you shall be allowed to be her personal servant but you better learn not to speak out of turn to your superiors, I do not appreciate being accused of things be they true or not. So because you are now under my daughters control, it is her job to punish you for what you have said.”  
He turned to Molly and nodded at her. Molly held back a flinch and turned to William, looking apologetic she slap him hard across the cheek. She then turned quickly and looked to her father. “May we leave now?”  
“You may leave with William now Margaret.”  
“Thank you father.” She grabbed hold of William’s wrist and dragged him from the room not stopping until they got to her room with the door closed.  
“Oh god William, I am so sorry, um we need to get something cool on your cheek, I am sorry, I really am, Sorry, sorry, sorry.” She found a clean cloth and soaked it in the fresh cold water from her hand basin, rung it out and then placed the cold wet cloth over his cheek.”  
\----  
“Ouch ouch….owwnn….well…at least it worked and…now I’m officially yours. Literally.”  
He moved his jaw, he barely could feel his cheek because of the cold.  
“Alright…I think that the best thing to do is…to not talk to our lord…without enough care.own But well, I had to convince him you can trust me…and thank you for not taking a whip or anything of the sort.”  
William then gave Molly a cute smile.  
“Now it is done…and here I am!”  
He giggled.  
“Now, what are we going to do? What do you usually do and what do you want me to do?”  
Sherlock took the wet cloth from her hand slowly.  
“Hey…it is alright. Don’t need to do that…the water is cold…and I’m used to punishments…”  
Sherlock put the cloth on a stone table by the wall and just stood there.  
“Princess…at your services!”  
He smiled.

\----  
Molly sighed and shook her head. “Sorry, I find it hard to punish people and my parents know that so  well yeah.” She bit her bottom lip and chewed at it, feeling horrible.  
“If you are sure you are okay … I need to get out of this castle for the day. I would like to go riding William, but I must get out of this stupid dress first… I know I shouldn’t really ask but my maid is busy with her other duties…Can you unlace the back of my dress? I can change the rest of my clothes by myself but I just need help with the lace as it is incredibly tight. Then I shall need your help with getting the horses ready, I have two of my own so when we ride, one of my horses shall be yours.”  
\----  
“Oh. Sure. I’m fine. Don’t worry. You had to do that and…even if you do that sort of think often…to…I don’t know, let your anger out, I wouldn’t mind. You’re just a child…and your heart is so good. So pure.”  
William smiled and then moved behind her.  
“You mean this thing? Sure. Let me just…uhmm….how do I…pull this…?”  
He started studying the back of her dress when he finally found out how he had to pull to make sure that tight piece of cloth would stop pressing Molly.  
He then did as she asked.  
“All done. Is there something else you want?”  
Sherlock stepped back and started walking around the room, seeing the other almost empty room’s inside the same room they were.  
“Ooohohoho a room inside a room. To keep servants. Interesting. So this is my bed…urgh it is cold in here.”  
He was already walking around it.  
\----

“You think me a child William?” She asked as she stood still, waiting for him to unlace her. “I suppose I am to you, being a mere sixteen year old to your twenty one years but I am much more mature than most women my age as all they think of is who they shall marry and the latest fashions in the land. I would rather be learning the sciences then be listening to the drivel that comes from their lips.”  
She let out a soft moan of relief when the laces were undone, making her able to breathe properly again. She smiled and nodded in thanks to William. “Thank you.”   
Waiting until he was searching his room, Molly quickly stripped of her clothes and replaced them with a light weight dress with under breeches which made it suitable  for riding. Lacing up the front, she then stepped into some sturdy boots and watched Sherlock.   
“Is the room okay for you? It does have a small fire place which we can use to get heat into this room. How about we ride to the market place today and we can buy you some things for your room, A quilt for one thing will be needed and whatever else you would think you need. Also you may want to change your coat to a more simpler one, this one is very expensive and only really used for special occasion where we won’t get dirty which is very likely to happen since the rains have made the grounds muddy. The simpler one is on my dressing table and once you are ready then we shall go.”  
\----  
“Yes, you’re a child who thinks who is an adult. Well, even if people treat you like an adult, you are not one and when you become one, you’ll be more like the others. You’ll start worrying about the same things they worry about and you won’t be that kind to me any more. But yes, I believe you’ll be like them when you grow up. Cruel like them. Proud like them. You’re just kind and naive because…because you still didn’t grow up.”  
William started his words with a rather sissy tone of voice, but finished speaking with a rather low and sad tone.  
“I don’t have other clothes to change into…ah…oh…right…over there…I’ll change.”  
He walked to where the other coat was and took it.  
“Yes…let’s find a few things to fill that stone empty square that is supposed to be my room. It is quite big and that makes it look like even colder…”  
Sherlock undressed the heavy coat he was wearing and wore the lighter one.  
“Let’s go. I did never ride a horse in my life, but I think I can learn….aaaand yes, before you ask, I did lie. I have no idea of how to ride those things.”  
He rubbed his chest since he was cold, the white shirt he was wearing was almost transparent, that white fabric was so thin.  
He closed his coat.  
“Let’s go.”  
The red on his left cheek was still so red, the skin on the spot was almost shinning.


	4. Chapter 4

“How dare you say that I will be like everyone else when I am what you consider to be an adult. I don’t care one once about any of those things and I am stubborn enough to know that I never will, I know I don’t even want to be married unless I can find a husband who will treat me as an equal and that we are in love, you think me to be a child and yet your words dishonour me. I shall never be like the others so I do not know why you would say such a thing.”  
She crossed her arms angrily, biting her lip so not to cry as she calmed herself.  
“Why did you lie to me William, I put my trust in you and you are tearing it away, please prove to me that my trust is justified. For now, I will teach you how to ride, but please pick up quickly as we have much to do and my patience is waning.”  
She crossed to the bedroom door and tore it open as she waited for William to join her before she led him off to the stables. The stable boys hurrying around to saddle both Molly’s Stallion and Mare, Molly handing them all a small coin in thanks for their efficiency.  
“Do you know how to mount a horse William?”  
\----  
“….oh now you don’t trust me. You’re brilliant. You put me inside your room, a slave you don’t even trust. Tell me if that is not childish.”  
He observed the horse and then rode it alright.  
“I never said that childish is bad. I would love if you remained like that forever. I have no idea of how to swing a sword, I’m not as strong as a soldier and I have no idea why you chose me. But here I am, playing the play you want me to play. And it is fine like this. Way better than having to…to work underground all the time. You’re so childish you didn’t even realize that you…”  
He paused.  
“…that you can do anything to me and no one would care. I love your childish way of being. But…you will change…even if you don’t want to. You will…like…like another person did. A little noble girl from this same castle, that would bring me food in one week and have fun with her friends as they made me eat a boiling egg two years later. She doesn’t even remember me. I’m just a toy. Not even a pet because they love their pets! And you…suddenly is so nice to me and …and I’m so scared to think you won’t change because when you do it will hurt so much…”  
A tear almost escaped his eyes, his lips shook slightly. He bit them.  
“…. let’s go. I saw people riding and memorized. Maybe I can do it.”

\----  
Molly glared at him. “I never said I didn’t trust you but I did say you were making it hard to trust you because you have lied to me when all I have been is honest and trying to protect you, I apologized for slapping you, I had no desire to do that and yet it now seems you are punishing me for that, I will not be cruel to you, not now, not ever so why are you being cruel to me by saying these things. “  
Her posture softened at William’s admittance that he had been burned in this kind of way before and did not want to trust her because someone else had treated him badly.  
Molly mounted her horse without saying anything, a plan forming in her mind as to how to prove to him she would treat him well for always when he was with her. “Alright William, Follow me then.”  
She pressed her horse into a canter riding off into a different direction then the town, heading towards the forest instead. When the reached the trees Molly slowed her horse to a walk and led Sherlock and the horses to a clearing a little distance into the forest. Dismounting she waited for Sherlock to do the same.  
\----  
Slowly he learned how to control the horse, it was a trained animal so it wasn’t that hard.  
When he heard her words, he looked away, as if regretting everything he had sad   
“(What is she up to…?)”  
William followed her to the forest, wondering why she was heading that way.  
When she stopped, he did the same, dismounting and stepping on the floor.  
“Why did you brought us here all of the sudden?”  
Suddenly he noticed one thing.  
It was a forest and there were no walls, no guards. He had a horse.  
He could just run away and depart to somewhere far and start a new life, oh but he had that mark on his neck, if people saw that, his fate would become so cruel.  
Freedom never seemed so close and so far at the same time.  
He just let out a sad sigh.  
“Why are we here, Lady Hooper….?”  
William asked with a rather sad tone of voice.  
He wanted to apologize for saying all those things, but he first wanted to see what her purpose for bringing them there was.  
\----

“Well for one thing, it is private, there is a lot less chance of people overhearing us fight or anything like that, but please believe me when I say I do not want to fight with you William.”  
She looked at him with equally as sad eyes before she walked over to him and cupped his hand in hers. “I am truly sorry for how you have been treated by my family, I wish I was not part of this world, but I know that I must be …but please trust in me when I say, I will never do anything to hurt you in anyway be it emotionally, physically, mentally or spiritually, I never will and if I ever come close to doing any of these things I insist that you inform me and I will make sure to never do that again.”  
She bit her bottom lip, looking away before looking back up at Sherlock. “There are many reasons for my choosing of you when I enter the dungeon William, but my main reason is that I am fascinated by you, your eyes shine with a strong intelligence stronger then any person I have met, yet there is also a sadness… but I want to know you better and I have a strong desire to-to to kiss you but I know now that you think me a child… but even so I was wondering if you would permit me to kiss you on the lips William?” she asked blushing bright red.  
\----  
“W….what…?? Ah…..? N…NO WAY YOU ARE JUST A KID FOR ME!!!”  
He almost shouted, impressed.  
“D…don’t even joke about such a thing! I thought…I thought you wanted to say something….grr…..wh…why are you doing this…? What if they find out…? They’ll turn me into a piece of meat if they find out you have such interest in me!!”  
He took a deep breath, calming down and pulling his hand away from hers.  
“L…listen…m…maybe….in the future…I…I don’t know…I…I’m a slave! You can’t…I mean…you…you can, but it is not right! I mean…at least not for…your family or…yo…you are just a kid for God’s sake!”  
He was getting agitated again.  
“So you feel…fascinated by my eyes? They’ll rip them off if they….if we develop any kind of… nghh….this is so hard to explain…I…I’m not going to do anything to you stay away from me! I myself don’t want to be touched! And you’re just a kid! We…we can think about it a few years in the future but never now!”  
William sighed.  
“Erm….that was it. I…I’m your bodyguard…and you’ll find a noble man to marry with when you grow up.  
”(So she picked me because…she fell in love with me…?? This is dangerous…if her family finds out even Molly could be in danger…I can’t let this happen…)“  
"Was this everything, Lady Hooper?”  
He spoke in a formal way, now understanding how she felt.  
“(Sorry for being…what I am…but this cannot happen…)”

\----  
Molly pulled back and walked slowly over to a log where she sat herself quietly, only the crunch of leaves under her feet making noise. She could not look at him or even herself, she felt completely ashamed by herself, why had she done such a thing… she knew the rules, she knew what would happen to them if she did anything like she was proposing but her stupid feelings got in the way and she couldn’t stop herself.  
Biting back a sob that was welling up in her chest, she removed her glove and wiped a single tear from her cheek. “I am so sorry William, that was incredibly wrong of me to ask such a thing of you, you are right I am just a stupid idiot child who can’t do anything right, I am sorry I am so sorry, I don’t want them to do anything to you, I’m sorry I am so sorry.”  
She shook her head when he said she would find a nobleman to marry someday, she didn’t want that, she knew she didn’t want that, not in a million years but she knew that was the direction her life was going and she would rather be drawn and quartered then marry any of the noblemen that would undoubtedly treat her as a trumped up slave, only there to do their bidding. “I don’t want this life William, I hate this life, yes I know I have food, clothes and a roof over my head, all provided for me, but I don’t want to marry a nobleman, I want to marry for love but that will not happen, I am sorry I never meant to… Would you like to leave? Take my horse and just leave, you must not be able to look at me after I asked such things of you… if you want to leave you can, I won’t stop you…” She burst into tears and placed her face in the palms of her hands.”  
\----  
“Nonononono stop that…d…don’t cry…it is not your fault…erm…it is so natural to have…to want…to want….things like that…and…shhh…stop….hey….princess….calm down….you’re not wrong…you’re actually so right…it is not your fault…listen…you’re not stupid, you’re so open minded…hey….Molly…”  
He sighed and crouched close to her.  
“I won’t go anywhere…my place…my place is with you, alright? I’ll always be with you…I….I’ll become a rich man…so…so you can marry me when….when you grow up and…when I become….good enough for your parents to approve me…”  
She said he was free to go, but he was still there.  
“Don’t cry…I don’t want to see you cry…I….since you said I could go and…no. And even if you make sure…I…I’m not a slave any more.. I won’t leave your side…I swear…I promise…”  
His eyes looked sad to see her sad.  
He looked so decided.  
William pulled his shirt and coat in a way the burn mark he had by the end of his neck and top of his shoulder was showing, he pulled out the sword he had been given and started to rub its blade against his skin, literally ripping and cutting where the mark was, making it disappear among the blood and flesh that was coming from that wound.  
“Ngghnnnn….I promise I’ll be someone….I promise…”

 

“It is my fault William, I am an idiot child, just like you think I am.” She continued to cry as he crouched next to her, only looking up at him once he stopped talking, horrified to see him cutting at his neck.  
“oh my god William, stop, you could kill yourself, stop doing that. “She ripped a piece of fabric from her underskirt and jumped to her feet rushing over to him as she bunched the fabric up into a ball and then pressed it hard against his neck to stop the bleeding. “Oh William, wh-why did you do that… did you do that just so you were not a slave any more? God, you cut yourself badly we need to get you to a doctor, I can’t lose you, you are my only friend… if you even consider us that any more.” Replacing her hand with his on the fabric against his throat, she ripped some more of her underskirt and carefully tied it around his neck to hold the fabric in place over the wound. “Are you okay Sherlock?”  
\----  
“Yes…I’m fine…”  
He looked slightly sad.  
“You’re not idiot…stop saying that. I don’t think you’re an idiot and I’m doing this because I want to have a chance to become rich so your family will allow us to be together!”  
He pressed the piece of cloth against his neck, his eyes got teary and he just sighed.  
“I’m fine. Nothing will happen to me. The mark is gone and it is all what matters! Now I’ll be able to work in something…anything! And no one will judge me or try to capture me!  
Ouch…ow….ouch…”  
William sniffed and continued to press the cloth against his neck.  
“I want you happy…I want to be capable of doing something!”

\----

“Of course, I said that I would make sure to pay you, and I will, I promise that and you can use that to do whatever you like with and the stallion, Poseidon … you can keep him, I have no use for two horses and Amphitrite here is the one I ride the most.” She rubbed a hand along her horse’s muzzle several times.  
Looking over at William and seeing that he was okay, Molly mounted her own horse and walked her closer to him. She nodded quickly and kicked her horse into action. “Follow me William, I know just the spot.” She got her horse moving and soon they were out of the forest, Molly checking to see for William as he rode behind her.  
“Its only a short distance William, would you like to race our horses William?”   
\----  
“Race our horses? Fine! I never did that…”  
He giggled and made Poseidon run faster.  
“I’m going to win…”  
William joked.  
Oh, he seemed to be having so much fun now, feeling the wind against his face, feeling freedom.  
He closed his eyes for a moment, there were no trees in the way any more.  
“Molly, I think I can already see the green field from here…”  
Sherlock smiled brightly as he raced, always looking to where Molly was, smiling every time he saw her.  
Soon he was so ignoring the pain from his neck, that sounded so magic. There was no one there, just them. No one to bother and that made him feel so free.  
At some point, he just hugged the horse’s neck back and felt that fresh wind blow against his face.  
It was like a dream.  
“I really want to see the field…they said it was so beautiful there…and…and then I want to see the stars…” He was keeping Poseidon by Molly’s horse side.  
“I never saw the stars, Molly…I wonder how they are…  
As a kid…I don’t remember much…I would spends the nights home…and then just behind stone walls…”


	5. Chapter 5

Molly giggled in return. “You are so not going to win William, Ampthitrite is faster then she seems.” She kicked the mare faster and watched William carefully as they rode, he looked so free to her now.  
They rode for a short while longer until they reached the field, Molly slowing her horse down as they approached. “Well here is the field William… I know of a place that we can see the stars from the castle… we could do that tonight if you like, I want to show you the stars William and help you reach for them in every way possible.”  
She rubbed the neck of her mare and smiled softly. “Would you like to lie in the grass William? It is an amazing feeling doing such a thing.”  
\----  
He finally stopped Poseidon and stepped on the ground.  
“Rest on the grass?”  
Sherlock slowly sat and touched it.  
“It feels so fresh…”  
William then rested on it, looking to the blue sky above.  
“This feels so good…”  
He just relaxed.  
“I’m still so confused…I mean…you just…set me free and…now that I can just stay by your side…I don’t want to go away…  
You’re…so young…and I feel like I have to protect you somehow…from a destiny you don’t want…”  
He spread his body over the grass, looking to her now.  
“Thank you for saving me…”  
Sherlock closed his eyes, relaxing, feeling so happy.  
\----  
Molly hopped down off of her horse and promptly lay flat on her back in the grass, running her fingers through the green blades. She smiled softly as she stared up at the blue sky. “This feels like heaven I could just lay here all day everyday.”  
She rolled onto her side and looked at Sherlock with her head tilted. “Well I am glad you don’t want to go, as I would rather you didn’t go anywhere…I consider you my friend and I need a friend.”  
.She bit her bottom lip and rolled back onto her back placing her hands on her stomach. “I’m nearly seventeen years of age William…is that really so young? but thank you William, like I have said before, you protect me, I will protect you. ”  
She closed her eyes and quietly dozed off into a gentle sleep.  
\----  
Sherlock looked back to Molly when she started to speak.  
“Oh yes, that is so young. Very very young. I mean…people ignore that fact and just do things according to their needs. Parents just find a husband for daughters in such a tender age to get rid of the problem…and older men don’t have conscience, they just accept a so younger wife. Things weren’t supposed to be like this…you are so young…before you become a wife…before you become a mother…there are so many things to be done…things that you won’t be able to do if you get married or have children. I wonder if society will ever change. I mean, Molly, look at the sky….look at the sun…look the farthest your eyes can see. Do you really think the Earth is a straight surface? It sounds like a sphere or something to me. I have no idea or interest to prove that, but…did you ever notice…that we would see everything ahead of us…if the Earth was a surface? But as we walk away, like, from the forest…we see it vanishing slowly, first the lower parts…and then….uh? Molly? Are you even…oh. She fell asleep.”  
William giggled alone and closed his eyes for a moment.  
“Oh princess…you are so young because you still have so many dreams…but don’t worry. I’ll do my best to make them come true. And…well, since you like books, I think I’ll grab one from the library and read it for you tonight, before you sleep…”  
He just continued to admire her.  
“You know…love isn’t something you get…it is something you build…and I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to build our own, because…well. Because you like me. And wanted to kiss me, you little lost thing.”  
William giggled more and started to nap slowly, half awake in case of anything.  
“We ’ll be just friends for now…and when you grow up and the time comes…I’ll let you kiss me.”  
He smiled and continued to nap.  
\----  
Molly listened to Sherlock even though she was dozing. Oh she just wanted to hug the man and thank him for being him. He understood how she was feeling about her life and wanted to help her achieve her goals and she was so grateful for that.   
When she heard him say that she could kiss him when she was grown up, a soft smile crossed her face. She could wait, she could wait for a kiss from him. Hugging herself as she slept.   
Waking up slowly, she rolled over and smiled at William. “its nice here isn’t it?”  
\----  
“Yes…it is very nice here indeed. But I’m afraid it is time for us to go. Now that…I’m not a slave any more, I can get my own money. I believe I should go to the town and see if I can win a few gold coins, I don’t know, maybe gambling, bets, duels…  
If I get to buy an area near your castle…I might be able to buy seeds and grow herbs…and I know how to prepare medicines. Maybe if I sell them in the town…I’ll make money fast…and buy more areas to grow more herbs…  
You know…all this commerce thing…is not that new but…it is starting to become more intense along the years. Maybe in the future…people will sell and buy in a lot more intense way. Now. Let’s go. There is my part of the corn harvest to work in…now I can take 10% of it since I’m not a slave…let’s go.”  
He smiled brightly.  
“Ah…I forgot…I’m actually 17 hehe. ”

\----  
“Yes we probably should get going to town, especially if we want to get back to town before night fall. But first would you allow me to re bandage your cut, just so you look more presentable while we are in town? ”  
She smiled at him and listened to his plan. “I think that sounds perfect William and a good solid plan to make money… Maybe I could help you at times and well I will still pay you to be my bodyguard and you can still have your room and all those things…”  
Molly giggled and prodded him on his good should with her finger. “All this talk about me being a child, you are barely older than me.” She said in a teasing tone and smiled brightly at him. Although you do pull off being older then your actual age William. “  
\----  
“Oh, well. I look older because I’ve suffered for years. It ages people. I mean, suffering.”  
He smiled brightly when Molly did.  
“Yes, the wound, yes, please…make me more presentable or it could call too much attention.”  
Sherlock looked so happy.  
“But uhmm…well…what are you going to tell your father? That you just…freed me? I mean…I was expensive. I think he bought me at the time for 100 golds…and now I’m worth a bit more…120…140 golds I think…how are you going to explain that to him?”  
He uncovered his neck, giving her access to the wound on his neck.  
“You think it is a good plan? Well, don’t need to say, I know it is.”  
William smiled again.  
“You know…there really aren’t anti infection herbs or medicines…but there was this recipe from ancient times from a book…I’m sure it will work!”  
He looked up to the sky.  
“If I can sell one for a few silvers…soon I’ll start to make golds…and then I’ll be able to get more areas and maybe a castle. Well. Your father is a noble…but that doesn’t mean I can’t become richer than him. Everyone says the nobles are starting to lose their wealth…”

\----

“Well William…would you be willing to still work for me part time, which I of course will pay you for handsomely, that way you can come with me to big events such as feasts and dances and well things like that and that means I will not have to tell my father as you will still be at least partly in my employ, so I will have no reason to tell my father. Would you be okay with that William?”  
She sat closer to him and removed the old rather red rags for his neck and with water from her container pack, she carefully cleaned the wound, washing all the blood away before she ripped another piece from her underskirt which she used as a clean bandage, carefully wrapping it around his neck and then adjusting the collar on his shirt so it was very hard to see his wound. “Much more presentable.”  
Molly chuckled and nodded as William continued to talk. ““You are right, nobles are definitely losing their wealth, my father is still probably one of the richest men around but his wealth is not what it used to be, so you could definitely become richer than him… is there anyway I can help you do that William, I want to help make you rich and successful and also if you can make those medicines, I will gladly buy some, because they are certainly needed, might make the chance of dying of small illnesses less, which I would be so grateful for.”  
\----  
“Oh…thank you…”  
He touched the bandaged wound and smiled.   
“Not even hurting any more. Your good at this….ah…well…you could learn how to make medicines too…there are many books about it…but anyway, I have to work of the small area assigned to me. Today I might receive a few carrots…that would be good. Let’s go back. Arm….there is still lunch to go, right? I’m still hungry…”  
William smiled and stood.  
“I’ll be always helping you…but I think the best thing to do is to tell your father…if he finds everything out by himself later, he might be angry. Now, let’s go…”  
*roooonc*

\----  
“Well, I have always wanted to be a Doctor… not that a woman let alone a girl would be allowed near that kind of thing, which is stupid in my opinion, so well I would love to help you make the medicines.”  
“Alright lets go back and don’t worry there will be lunch, we can stop back at the kitchens when we get there…” Molly got up onto her feet, smoothing her skirts down. “William, I don’t know what to tell my father… I am scared of him but I am also rather more scared of my mother… god some days I want to just run away and live on a farm, I am tired of living in fear in that stupid castle… sorry just a little scared of my parents it seems… I mean I try and avoid them most of the time…” She flinched and rubbed her arms.  
“Anyway lets go.”  
\----  
“Hey…princess…I won’t let anyone hurt you. I’ll always be by your side and I’ll always protect you. No matter what. We can study together and you can know anything you want.”  
He smiled brightly and slowly wrapped his arms around her, pulling Molly into a hug.  
William seemed to be showing affection so much. He finally let go of her and mounted his horse.  
“Let’s go then?”

Molly was slightly shocked when William hugged her back she quickly hugged him back, savouring the tightness of his hug. It was very rare that she got hugs so when she got them she did not want them to stop, she never got them from her mother or father, so this hug made her feel very happy. “You promise you will be by my side? if so I do know what to tell my father then.”  
She was disappointed when William stopped hugging her because the human contact felt so nice but she forced a smile on to her face and mounted her own horse, her skirts bunching as she settled onto the saddle.  
“Yes lets go… would you like to lead the way this time?”  
\----  
“Lead the way? Oh, no. We both know the way. Let’s go back side by side. Poseidon and your horse look a bit tired because of earlier, so let’s try to avoid running that much. If we need them for later, they’ll be rested enough.”  
William noticed she was kind of…holding something he didn’t quite knew what it was.  
“Ah…so. We go back, have lunch, I go outside, work on that little area harvesting corn and carrots, get my portion, go back, wash myself and then I’m free. What do you think? What do you have to do? You can stay with me while I work with the carrots…we could talk…I don’t know. I like to…talk to you. You’re not annoying.”  
Sherlock patted the horse slightly with his leg, making it start moving. Slowly he patted again with his leg, slightly, as if a little kick, Poseidon increased the speed normally.  
“See? You don’t have to kick hard to make them move…you just have to show them you want them to move.”  
He smiled, proudly.

\----  
Molly nodded and smiled back at William softly. “Perfect… just perfect William, best to  go back slowly to not tire them out.”  
She ran her hand through the horses mane before carefully and gently nudging her horse into a walk beside William’s  
“Would you be okay with me actually helping you work the carrots, I don’t mind a bit of hard work and well I would very much like to be out there and help you and well talk to you …” She had no desire at all to go back to the castle so if she could help him with the work and keep herself away from the castle then she would.  
She gently kicked her horse so that she was going at the same speed as Poseidon was and in no time they had arrived back at the stables of the castle, Molly quickly jumping of of her horse. “Lunch William?”   
\----  
“Lunch!”  
William smiled brightly.  
He had waited for that moment for so long…  
“Are you sure you want to help? It can be quite tiring…and I don’t know if your parents would want to know you were working with…harvest and…things as such.”  
Sherlock scratched his head and dismounted Poseidon.  
“Well, I wonder how those coloured desserts taste like…and I wonder how all of those…uh nm…oh I should stop imagining things about food, I’m getting more and more hungry…”  
“Erm…let’s go? Lots to do.”  
He smiled and adjusted his clothes, walking slowly, waiting for Molly.

\---  
Molly frowned slightly and shrugged her shoulders as she began to lead him through the castle to the kitchens. “I want to help I do … I just don’t know how my parents will react if they ever find out…maybe its best if I do not … I should probably catch up on some of my needlework or something…I don’t know.”  
Her frown deepened  but slowly turned at Sherlock’s chattering ons about food, he really was excited to be able to try the new things he had only ever seen or heard of. “Hmm I am sure that we can get some of those desserts rustled up for you… the ladies in the kitchen like me after all… it used to be my favourite hiding spot when I was younger.” She smiled at him and flicked her hair plait back over her shoulder as they arrived at the kitchen. “lets choose some food for lunch, what ever you want, if they have it, it is yours.”  
\---  
“W…whatever I want??”  
He widened his eyes.  
“R…really? Really really???”  
Sherlock started to look around the kitchen, when he finally saw a table with a lot of food. Many different things, things he had never seen.  
“Oh my…”  
Before he could finish his words, a blonde almost middle aged rushed to William.  
‘SCOTT! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT IS YOU! LOOK AT YOULOOKATHOWWELLDRESSEDYOUAREANDYOURHAIRISSOMARVELOUS!!’  
Sherlock closed his eyes for a second.  
“H…hello there. Please don’t shout…I don’t want to call attention…”  
She giggled happily.  
‘Ohhhh….I’m so glad to see you here. By your clothes I believe Molly got you as a….’  
“Bodyguard.”  
The woman giggled again.  
‘You? A body guard? You barely could defend yourself from the…’  
“SHHHHH!! I know! But at least I’m not underground any more!”  
The woman continued to put the sweets on a plate. It was what she was doing before.  
‘You just saw the underground and the working grounds your whole life, didn’t you? Sheesh…Well, that’s the chance you have to get to know the world, boy.’  
Sherlock gave her a quiet shy nod and continued to look around.  
‘The others already ate, all of this food that was left is going to the trash, darling. So take what you want. I can hear your stomach from here.’  
William widened his eyes again. Oh there was so much food there and he used to feel so much hunger…why did it all had to end in the trash?  
“Erm…what are those, Molly?”  
He pointed to a strawberry cake, a roasted chicken and more meat that still seemed to be warm.  
“That smells good.”  
The woman laughed.  
'Meat, darling…oh Molly, dear…show him the world…I have work to do…’  
And she left.  
“M…meat? You mean…from the animals…oh…it makes sense…I had meat before but…it wasn’t erm….like this, it was cold and…bleeding…and…erm…it tasted nothing actually.”  
\----  
Molly giggled and watched Sherlock’s reaction as he smelt and saw all the delicious food. She also listened carefully to his interaction with the baker, her smile staying on her lips at his excitement.   
“Yes Mammy, I will be sure to show him the world, although I wish It could be more than this patch  of land.” She smiled at the baker and then led him over to the food he had been eyeing up.  
“Well you had a bit of cooked meat last night though William, but that was cold and this is still warm so lets get some plates and pile them up. I mean it will go to scraps otherwise.”  
“So what would you like to eat William, some meat and bread first and then some of the strawberry cake?”

\---  
“Oh…so that soft and tasty thing I had last night was….oh…now I get it. Wow Maggie, it didn’t even sound like meat…it was delicious…”  
He touched his lips with his fingers.  
“Arghm….what is that yellow….oh….OH! I heard about this! It is…a legend….this is….BUTTER! Oh I heard so much about it…a few nobles use it on their hair to keep it in order but…they said it is great when together with bread…and…uhnmm….there are so much bread in here….ahhnn….”  
Sherlock peeked almost everything and finally sat on a chair.  
“Uhnm….I’ll start…with this…”  
He took a knife and cut some bread.  
Took it and put some butter on it.  
“Oh…Molly! This is still warm…uh nm….oh my….this day….ah…”  
*ROOOOONC!!*  
“Okay…I’ll have a bit of everything…”  
William started having some bread, closing his eyes, feeling that unique taste, oh he had craved for that for so long.  
“Yes *CHOMP* I want some *CHOMP* meat and…'cake’, oh it is so good…*MUNCH*”  
He looked so happy.  
In a minute the bread was gone.  
Sherlock took another and continued to eat.  
The man was so hungry…and he wasn’t even a man yet.  
\---  
Molly made a face when Sherlock said that some nobles would use butter in their hair, she had been forced to try that once and it had been horrible in her hair and hell to get out.  
She slowly ate her food as she watched him eat his food eagerly. She was so glad he was enjoying the food because after the morning they had had, he deserved it.   
“William, slow down. remember the slower you eat the more your stomach will be able to handle the food without you being sick… I mean I would rather you didn’t get sick. Uh you want some cake now, uh okay which kind. We have chocolate or strawberry. Oh and vanilla. Which one would you like?”  
\---  
“Uhnm….s…slow down? Oh…right…”  
*ROOOONC*  
“*MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH*”  
William had some of the meat, fruits and bread with butter, then some cereals and more bread with butter.  
“Erm…wait…there are three cakes?”  
*ROOOONC*  
“I’ll try them all…can I try them all?”  
He was now having some meat.  
“This tastes so good….awnnn Molly…I owe you so much…*chomp* I love you Molly…”  
Sherlock took a piece of the chocolate cake and started having it.  
“Uhnnmm….this is….awnn….”  
He closed his eyes, enjoying that piece of cake so much.  
“This is food…uh nm….I’m almost done, don’t worry….just a bit more….”  
He took the strawberry cake and started to attack.  
“This one is too sweet…but it is good too…”  
He finally finished, cleaned his mouth and gave Molly his brightest smile.  
“I’ll never forget this…you did so much for me…”  
He took the little chocolate that was on the cake and ate it.  
“Can I take this to my room??? Please? Let me take this to my room so I can eat later…please…”  
He hugged two breads.  
“They will throw this away…let me take this…please…”  
\---  
“Yes you can have a bit of all of them, I mean other wise they will be wasted.”  
Molly had finished her food a lot quicker then Sherlock, her portion of the food being a lot less then his. So she just watched him while he ate, careful not to show any emotion when he accidentally let slip the words “I love you Molly.” from his lips. Even though she wanted to say it in reply, but no, If she showed any inclination towards him while in the castle other then friendship... well it would not end good for either of them.  
Pulling herself out of her thoughts, she smiled brightly back at William. “It tis nothing William. I am glad you are enjoying it and yes, you may take the breads to your room, as long as there is no objections from Maggie. Also we actually should get going back to things... maybe you could ask to take some of the cakes with us as well?”


	6. Chapter 6

“Right, Molly. Erm…Mag….oh wait…your name was…something like Margaret too, right? What a coincidence. Erm, Maggie, can we take this to…”  
The baker shouted from the other side of the kitchen.  
‘IT IS FINE. TAKE ANYTHING YOU WANT, DARLING. PUT IN THE BASKETS, NOW I’M A BIT BUSY WITH THE CLEANING.’  
Sherlock shouted back.  
“THANKS! I’LL TAKE WHAT I CAN THEN.”  
William started to choose the foods he had liked the most and put them inside a big basket. Once it was full, he took it and started to take it to his room.  
“Just a minute, Molly…I’ll just…ooof….take this…”  
Slowly he made his way to his room and put the basket beside his bed, covering it carefully.  
“(I’m glad it is so cold, the food will last more…and later, when I get hungry, I’ll eat again hehe.)”  
In a minute, William went back to the kitchen.  
“All done. Well, now I have to work. And like I said, I think you should talk to your father. He…he sort of likes you, I think that things would get worse if he found out about you making me free and…stuff. You know, it might be a bit arrogant of me, but I don’t want to continue being treated as a slave while I’m here. If I have to keep being treated like that, it is fine, but then you need to make it clear I’m just yours and refrain people from using or hurting me.”  
He said while scratching his hair.  
“Now.”  
Sherlock held her hand and started to guide her outside.  
“I’ll work with carrots and corns and you said you wanted to stay around, so let’s go, Molly.”  
He was rushing outside since he wanted to get rid of his tasks the soon as he could so he would enjoy his new life.  
“Oh don’t forget you can order me to do things too, since I’m ah…yours. I’m just going to work with this so I can get my weekly portions…some carrots. They make me feel healthier…and I need to be healthy so I can…do things. And it feels so good to be well fed.”  
True. His hair was starting to sound more…shinning, consistent. His skin was healing better and he didn’t sound that slim any more, even if he was still quite thin, he didn’t look sick at all.   
….  
“Lady Rose is fine William, It is also much nicer to hear then Margaret. But yes I prefer Molly. “She smiled softly and handed him bits and pieces of food as he filled the basket.

“I won’t let you be treated as a slave any more by anyone… I promise you that. Remember, you protect me, I protect you.” she said once he had come back from his rooms leaving the food in there.  
She frowned but nodded in agreement with William, she really did need to talk to her father again after the mornings events, even though she hated to. “Well then William… I uh believe that you should go and see to the carrots and such things… while I go and speak to my father. “ Her face scrunched up and she wrapped her arms tightly around her body. “I shall see you soon William, Meet you back here for dinner?”   
….  
“Dinner. Fine. I’ll probably come back before that, but okay. I’ll see you here in dinner then.”  
He rested his hand over her head for a moment, then pulling it back.  
“That is right. I look after you and you look after me. I’ll be outside working if you need me, Lady Rose.”  
William smirked and left to the outside.  
“Let’s begin…”  
He removed his expensive coat, shirt, shoes and pants, remaining with his underwear, he then wrapped a white piece of cloth around his waist, making sure his new clothes wouldn’t get dirty.  
He started pulling the carrots from the earth, one by one, putting them inside baskets and wooden boxes. Hours passed.  
He adjusted the piece of cloth Molly had used to cover his neck and now started harvesting corn.  
More hours passed, he finally was done.  
When he was heading back, one of the men, probably one of those who monitored the men’s work, gave Sherlock a few carrots.  
He then took his new clothes and headed back to his room, leaving the carrots there.  
It was still long before dinner, he still had time.  
William walked to the small lake, still inside the castle’s walls since he couldn’t leave the place all by himself, and washed all the dirt away from his body.  
Slowly, he took a twenty minutes nap as the sun would dry him and wore his clean clothes.  
William finally went to the kitchen to wait for Molly. It was still a bit early for dinner, but he just waited.  
….

 

 

Molly fidgeted until William left, then tried to calm herself to make sure she could face her father with the news of William’s release.  
Changing into something more formal, she wrapped her hair into a bun, then proceeding to head towards her father’s study. Knocking, she waited until she was called to enter and bowed  just in the doorway to her father, not having noticed her mother as of yet. Looking up she looked to her father and then spotted her mother.”Father-Oh Mother, I did not see you, pray forgiveness for my ignorance… I can come back late-”   
“No Molly stay right there and tell me and your Mother what has bought you to my chambers for the second time today.” Lord Hooper interjected before Molly could finish.  
Standing there, she shook almost invisibly as her parents eyes bore into her. “I-I wanted to inform you that I… My servant William… Well I removed his  slave mark from his neck to make him a free man. He will still be in my employ but I had rather he was no longer considered a slave so … his mark is gone.”  
Molly finished to utter silence which she knew was not good at all, she looked between her parents as she tried to not have a panic attack.  
The first one to speak was her mother and the fury coming from her was intense. “You insolent idiot child, what gives you the right to remove one our slaves from our possession.” Out of the corner of her eye, Molly say her mother pick up a piece of leather, but was unable to move before her mother thwacked her hard in her ribs with it, the air leaving Molly’s body in a rushed. She did this twice more before dropping the leather and proceeding to slap her face, leaving Molly with what would be a black eye.   
Molly bore all this without complaint, knowing if she didn’t the punishment would be worse than this. Finally, the punishment was over and her father even though he had not stopped his wife looked at his daughter apologetically. “Helen, desist… I believe she has been punished enough… and as to the boy William…”  
Her heart bet fast at this, unsure what he would do to William. “… He will remain in your service as a free man but be careful my daughter, any more insolence on either of your parts will be punished… now leave and I hope not to see you for the next week until your face is healed and back to normal.”  
With their leave, Molly ran off towards the kitchens, her ribs screaming and her face and eye throbbing. Only when she got to the kitchens did she allow herself to cry, especially when she saw William through her one good eye.   
She burst into tears on the spot and collapsed into a crumpled heap on the floor.  
…...  
We widened his eyes and rushed to Molly when he saw her.  
“What happened?? Molly!”  
William crouched close to her almost at the same second.  
“Molly….d…don’t cry….w…what happened…?”  
He saw her eye, hurt, it seemed somewhere by her ribs was hurt too.  
“Did…did your parents do that?”  
Sherlock asked, worried.  
“Come here….let’s wash your face…shhh….calm down…everything is okay now….don’t cry…”  
He took her in his arms and took her to their rooms.  
“Shhh….it is all over now….shhh….”  
William kissed her forehead several times, kissing her head too, taking her to her room.  
“Your parents love you, alright? I love you. I love you so much, you are not alone, Molly…”  
William kissed her forehead again and rested her on the bed.  
“Let’s wash that wound….I know a way to make it go away faster…”  
He took some water and a few herbs he was observing earlier, dissolved some in the water and took a soft piece of cloth, rubbing it slightly against her face.  
“Calm down…I’m here….oh it is all my fault…you said you were scared to talk to your father and I didn’t listen…this is all my fault…oh Molly….”  
He looked so worried.  
“Calm down…look, I took a book earlier…I can read some stories for you and…I…I’ll stay here all the time…”  
He took a cupcake from the basket he had filled earlier.  
“Here…have this. It is delicious…I don’t know what this little cake is…but it will make you feel better…”  
His eyes got a bit watery,of he wanted to shout at her parents so much.  
He slowly pulled Molly into a hug, rubbing her back, careful to not press her rib.  
“What can I do? What do you want me to do?”  
William started running his fingers through her hair to calm her down, then he pulled a sheet and covered Molly’s shoulder.  
“It is cold here…I’ll light the fireplace…as soon as you let me go…but don’t hurry, okay…?”  
He rested her face on his chest, making sure the sheet was warming her enough.  
….  
Molly leaned against William and let out soft sobs from the pain in her ribs. She clutched tightly to him as he lifted her into his arms, not speaking or answering his questions until she was safely in her room.  
She closed her eyes as he kissed her forehead, shaking her head when he said her parents loved her. “They do not love me William, they tolerate me and then punish me when they consider me insolent.” Her sobs slowly settled into soft cries of pain.   
She let him tend to her wounds, flinching several times at the pain. “Not your fault William, I would have been fine if it was just my father… he didn’t do any of this…it was all my *cough* Mother.”  
She shook her head when he offered her the food, she had no desire for food in that moment, she just wanted to stay in his strong embrace as it was making her feel slightly better.  
“Could you help me to get into my night dress and brush my hair out William … then I would very much love it if you could read to me, if you are willing? but first you need to light the fire.” She said, even though she  had no desire to move from his arms in that moment as she did in fact feel safe and warm.  
….  
Sherlock took her in his arms again.  
“Oh….Molly. Erm…sure. Wait…”  
He did his best to light the fireplace as he still had her in his arms, once the fire started, he put the cake back in the basket and sat on the bed again.  
“All done…calm down now…she won’t do anything any more, okay?”  
He rested Molly on the bed and turned her, removing that formal heavy part of her dress.  
Sherlock frowned when he saw how tight all that clothing was and how many layers of dress she had to wear.  
“Dear Lord…just how many dresses are you wearing, uhmm?”  
He tried to use his cutest tone of voice, trying to cheer her up.  
“Let me remove this tight thing…”  
William undid the laces by her back, removing another layer of that complicated clothing.  
“Oh, there is still another under it…that’s why you need help to get dressed…”  
He removed the other dress like clothing, and there was still more clothing!   
“Oh…just…is this the last one? I mean…just how many dresses do you have to use??”  
He asked again, scratching his head.  
“Alright…this is your dressing gown…correct?”  
William had it on his hands.  
“Can you wear it by yourself…?”  
He asked, with his usual cold expression, but his eyes showing he cared.  
“…”  
When Sherlock looked to her face, sad and in pain like that, he sighed.  
“Fine…”  
He removed the under dress she was using, Molly still wearing underwear he thought, and dressed her with her night dressing gown, in rather funny way since he had his eyes closed all the time.  
“I feel as if I was your dad when I do this…don’t ask me to do this again…”  
He finally opened his eyes.  
“Did I do it right? Erm…ahh…you should apply that water with herbs on your wound…on…ah…ribs.”  
William pointed. He walked to his room started to remove his formal clothes, wearing his dressing gown too and came back with a book.  
The room was already dark, the light coming slightly from outside and mostly from the fireplace.  
He put the book on the bed and just stood, looking to Molly with a worried face.  
“(I have no idea of how to fix all of this…)”  
“Just a moment…I have to…light the fireplace in my room or it will be freezing in there later.”  
He went to his room again.  
Suddenly, the door of her room started to move, two men were trying to get inside, and they did. They thought Molly was alone and closed the door, with a smirk on their faces.

….  
She tried not to move too much in fear of it hurting even more than it already did. She was very grateful that William was there to her her undress as her body was struggling to move at all, oh how she hated this. She chuckled softly at his question. “I lose count of how many I get squeezed into.”  
Finally in her nightdress she was able to move and breathe slightly better, although there was clear welts and bruising showing over her ribs. “Thank you William, I promise never to ask that of you again, I rather wish I had not had to ask but I could not do it myself so thank you, you did it right so thank you .”  
“Okay, while you light your fire, I will put the tincture on my ribs.” Once he left the room, Molly hoisted up her dress and carefully applied the herb water to her ribs. She was distracted doing this so she did not notice when two men entered her room until they were close to her. “WILLIAM!!!!” She screamed


	7. Chapter 7

Sherlock jumped at her sudden shout.  
The two men looked at each other confused. Who was she calling?  
William took the sword and dashed to her room. As his room was basically inside hers, he got to where she was in a second.  
When one of the men pulled out a knife, Sherlock had already pierced his eye with his sword, making it cross the man as if he was nothing.  
The other one struggled, punched his stomach a few times, Sherlock’s sword was stuck inside the man who had already collapsed.  
The guy tried to punch him again, but Sherlock head butted him, making the suspect fall on the floor.  
At this point, William was covered in blood. Not his blood. The look in his eyes and the slight tilt in his head made the man try to escape. As he crawled out of the room, Sherlock grabbed the now dead man’s leg, followed the other one slowly, grabbed his leg as well and started dragging them both by the corridor.  
By his walk, he crossed paths with a woman, a maid probably.  
“Look after Molly.”  
It was all he said.  
His face seemed so angry, furious.  
The still alive man moaning of pain, the other one wouldn’t move.  
Sherlock dragged them both to the front of Molly’s father door, let go of the not moving man and knocked on the door, eventually opening it, basically throwing both men at the rich man’s feet.  
Sherlock just stared her father for a second.  
“I want a lock in Molly’s door.”  
He just said that.  
….  
Molly looked on in a mixture of horror and awe as she watched Sherlock defend her, she was also frozen in her position on her bed, she wanted to help but did not know what to do, she was so scared.  
After William had dispatched with both of the men, she watched as he picked them up and dragged them through the door. Not long after, a maid came into her room and gasped at the blood everywhere before rushing over to Molly. “My Lady, are you alright. “Molly looked up at her and shook her head. “C-Could you make me some tea?”   
 The maid nodded and rushed off, coming back with tea and another maid who then helped to clean up all the blood as Molly slowly sipped at her tea.  
Lord Hooper got up from his armchair, annoyed at being interrupted in the middle of his book. When he opened the door and saw William along with two very near dead men. “Did these men try to attack my daughter?” he asked, worry evident on his normally impassive face. “Thank you William, thank you for protecting her…I will have a lock put on her door in the morning, I would ask you to watch over her tonight though.”  
….  
“I will always watch over her. And please. Please refrain her mother from hurting her. You have no idea of how sad Molly is. She thinks you and her mother don’t love her and that hurts so much. To think you’re not loved. It really hurts.”  
Sherlock gave the man a loyal strong nod and left the two men by the corridor, he took his sword back and was finally returning to Molly’s room.  
Once he got there he just approached Molly and half hugged her, kissing her forehead, then he cleaned the sword and went inside his room to clean himself.  
“I talked to your father. Things are supposed to get better now, princess.”  
He smirked to her, wanting Molly to feel better, and threw the dirty dressing gown to the side, cleaning himself inside a wooden bathtub like round thing.  
He relaxed as he got himself cleaned.  
“All solved…she’s fine now…uhnm….”  
Sherlock just closed his eyes while in the water.  
“I have no idea of how I could protect her…but I did…well. That is great.”  
He dried himself and wore a clean dressing gown, returning to Molly, clean again and fine.  
“So, Molly. How are you feeling?”  
Sherlock sat on the bed, beside her.  
….

Lord Hooper looked away ashamed at what he had not stopped her mother from doing. “I will not allow any of that behaviour to happen in this castle any more. I do love my daughter though I am unsure how her mother feels.” Lord Hooper nodded back at William and called two of his guards to dispose of the two men.  
Molly smiled softly when he touched her even though she still felt like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. The two maids had left not long before Sherlock arrived back and she was grateful for that and the cup of tea which was now rapidly cooling on her bedside table. When he went to his room, Molly drank what was left of the cup and  settle  down in the bed, trying to find a comfortable spot, but really struggling. She listened as best  as she could to him from the other room, hearing bits and pieces of what he was saying. “Thank you William.” She said in a soft voice.  
“I’m alright I guess William… I am still rather sore and Sc-scared… I do not think I am going to be able to sleep tonight.” She said holding back a sob, her emotions a complete wreck.  
….  
Sherlock smiled sweetly, glad she wasn’t hurt.  
“Alright. Come here.”  
He sat by the middle of her bed and pulled Molly, sitting her on his lap, covering them with the sheet, he wrapped one arm around her.  
“You’re shaking…stop shaking…I’m here…”  
He hugged her tight for a few seconds, then pulled the book out and opened it.  
“So, do you want me to read the story, or do you want to talk? What do you want me to do? Just say the word, princess. Oh and I talked to your father, your parents won’t do bad things to you any more, according to his words, alright?”  
William kissed her head again, trying to make her calm down.  
“So, erm…hugging helps, right? I really have no idea of how to make you feel better. I’m just doing things I read on a book, really.”  
He frowned a bit confused, in a rather funny cute way, making puppy eyes.  
“Is any of this right? Ah…are you hungry by the way or…you want to…I don’t know…just…say what you want to do.”  
….  
Molly was surprised when he pulled her into his lap but it made her feel so much better just from those actions.  
She snuggled in close to William, her shaking slowly stopping in his right grasp on her. At the comment about her mother and father she frowned. “I will believe that when I see that but I hope you are right. ” She sighed and snuggled in closer to him. “I would like to you to read to me…”   
As he was rambling, she leaned up and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “This is helping a lot William, having someone close who I am not worried about getting hurt by, well I have that very rarely… So this is helping me a lot. ”  
“Now, I think its time that you read and I listen. What is the book about William?”  
….  
He smiled in a cute silly way when she kissed his cheek and said he was indeed calming her down.  
“Oh, great. Yes, of…of course I would never hurt you. You can trust me indeed, princess.”  
He said as he opened the book on its first page.  
“It is an old legend I think. Just a myth, a story I thought you would like. I don’t know where it is from, but it is about a prince well, a lot like you, but he’s a boy.”  
William was still keeping one arm around her, holding Molly tight. He had already noticed how she felt safe when he did that and now he wasn’t that thin like before since he was eating properly, so a few slight muscles started showing a bit more.  
“I’ll begin then. Long time ago, a queen and a king were waiting for a child…who would in the future become a king. But a surprise happened that day. Two children were born, twins. And as the maids had helped their mother to give birth, no one knew which boy was the older one, not even then would know when they grew up.  
Years passed and both brothers started growing up, always playing with each other and doing everything together. One of them didn’t care about who would be king since they were so great friends, but the other brother thought differently. The other brother was afraid that he weren’t the older one, so he always remained alert and afraid of not being the king one day.  
After twenty years of their birth, their skills were basically the same, they were both so smart and great fighters, but even so, the worried brother used to shine more in any challenge due to his constant need of showing his qualities, doing his best to prove he was the older one and that he deserved to be the king. One day, still scared since his actions were never enough to prove himself he was the older and the best one, he decided to go to a special lake, said to be magic. As the legend said, he threw a golden coin inside the lake and tried to see the reflection of the future. And what he saw was the image of his own wearing king clothes and a huge golden crown. But there was a problem. Both brothers looked like exactly the same. He didn’t know if the image he saw was him or his brother. He was so scared that he decided to do something terrible.  
He went to that lake several days, trying to see the future about the weather. The day the lake showed there would be a storm, he invited his brother for a horse ride near the mountain, and that same day when the storm started, he pushed his brother, making him fall far far away down in a huge waterfall. He then returned home, pretending to be desperate about what had happened, saying his brother had fallen because of the strong rain. A few years later, he became king, but his guilt was so strong in him that he became evil and corrupted, so his guilt wouldn’t hurt him any more…ahhh uhn? Oh…Molly…the other pages of the book…they can’t be read…it seems…they got wet some time ago…the ink is ruined…argh…sorry about this…it is impossible to read…”  
….  
Molly shifted her position on his chest and hummed happily. “I do trust you… a lot more than I trust anyone else.”  
As he started the story, Molly closed her eyes and just listened to his voice, not really following the story intensely but still listening none the less. She linked her fingers with his and squeezed gently, nuzzling her head against his chest as she tried to get comfy. “It’s alright William… we could make our own ending  if you want?”  
She blushed and bit her lip, looking at him.  “Would you be willing to stay with tonight… I mean just until I go to sleep?”  
….  
“Well, there probably is another copy of this book in the library, but I don’t want to go there now…so I could imagine an ending, of course.”  
He held her hand as they fingers were linked.  
“Yes, of course I can stay. I can stay the whole night if you want. Not a problem. As long as you feel safe and calm, Molly.”  
He closed the book and threw it on a stone table which was not that far from the bed.  
Now with his other free arm, he wrapped it around her, by her stomach, and pulled the sheet to cover them.  
“Well…let’s see…the other brother could have survived and…found a family who always treated him well and…as time passed, he wouldn’t even keep remembering about his brother…until the day the twins met by accident….in front of everyone and…and…”  
His eyes were already too heavy. Sherlock slowly fell asleep while his arms would be holding Molly, as if protecting her. His red dressing gown in place, neatly, he had fallen asleep.  
….  
Molly smiled and snuggled closer to William. “Thank you … I would like you to stay the night if you can as I do feel safer.”  
She covered his arms around her stomach with her own, closing her eyes again. As he came up with his own ending to the story, Molly began to half doze. “Good ending” she mumbled in her half sleep before falling into a deep sleep, having one of the better sleeps she had had in a long time.  
Even though it was one of her better sleeps, she at several times started to toss in turn in her sleep having nightmares that she could not remember but utterly terrified her. She clutched tighter at William.  
….  
As he slept, he noticed Molly was moving, agitated. He would wake up every time she moved.  
“Uhnm….Molly. Calm down…”  
He would speak half asleep.  
When she seemed agitated, he tried to make sure she was calm again, trying to adjust her position every time she moved.  
“Calm down…”  
William fell asleep again.  
After one hour or so, she was moving again.  
“Ah Molly…look at you…you won’t sleep properly like this. Wake up…or…stop having bad dreams…”  
He scratched his head.  
“And what should I do?”  
Sherlock took her in his arms and placed her in the middle of the bed, adjusted the pillows and covered her. Then he rested by her side, wrapped one arm around her and pulled out the now clean sword she had given him, the one he had used a few hours ago, now holding it firmly.  
“You are safe. I am here. Don’t be afraid.”  
Sherlock would half sleep and still hold the sword firmly.  
“Now sleep calmly. You are protected, Molly.”  
And he remained like that. And the hours passed.  
….  
Molly calmed in her sleep by Williams actions, eventually the nightmares disappearing and leaving her in a calm deep sleep until she awoke hours later to find William still by her side.  
Opening her eyes slowly, she noticed the sword and inched back just enough if he woke up with a jolt that the sword would not hurt her. “William.” She called out softly.  
….  
“Uhnm….?”  
Sherlock opened his eyes as if he was half sleeping.  
“Oh…you woke up. Did you sleep well? Did the nightmares go away? Or…you….ah no. Look at your face. You look fine, Molly.”  
He put the sword by his side, on the floor.  
“See? There was no need *yaaawn* to be scared. I was here the whole night and…*yaaawn* I kept my eyes open until…until…some time. I just noticed I did fall asleep at some point. But…it was a bit cold and I was hungry…so yes. I fell asleep. You seem okay. You are okay…right? *peeks peeks peeks* Yes. You are okay.”  
William stood, his dressing gown half falling his shoulders, he adjusted it.  
Then he opened the window slightly.  
“Oh…it is still dark outside…probably it will be mourning in a few hours…it has been dark for some time now….OH!”  
He opened the window, a fresh night wind coming into the room.  
“Stupid! Stupid!!”  
Sherlock opened the window more and moved almost half his body outside.  
“It is night…and I can see the sky…look, Molly…it looks like we’re under a sheet and that all those white dots are the small holes…I presume…those are the stars…oh, they’re so…so shinning and…they keep moving like…like a heart…and there is a giant star right there….there is just half of it…and it is so white…is that the…Moon? A few men use the Moon calendar or something to control the growth date of a few vegetables…”  
His eyes were shinning while looking outside.  
“Forget the sheet idea…it looks like as if there were so many shinning balls so far away…and we probably are one of them too….that means…that maybe there are more worlds like ours…shinning like that, far away and…and…this is so beautiful….I have no idea of how…all those things move or don’t move…maybe I’ll never understand but…it is so beautiful…”  
Sherlock was shaking a bit because of the cold, but he looked so happy seeing the stars.  
“Molly…you’re like the stars when you smile.”  
….  
Molly smiled softly and nodded. “I slept well William. I mean after the nightmares finished that is. So yes I am fine and thank you William for watching over me in my sleep, really thank you for just being close and making me feel safe.”  
Wrapping her dressing gown around herself, she carefully got out of bed and walked over to Sherlock. She stood next to him and smiled as she looked up into the night sky. “It is so wonderful isn’t it William, it has a rather calming effect as well in my opinion, staring at the night sky relaxes me.”  
Molly smiled and blushed when William likened her to the stars, it was such a beautiful analogy. “Thank you. I must say your eyes sparkle in this light … what colour are your eyes William? I never can tell.”  
….  
“My eyes? I don’t know. I actually never saw my eyes nor my face properly. I mean…just in the lake.”  
He continued to observe the stars.  
“It is so….amazing….and relaxing, yes. Calming indeed. If you think my eyes are like that…then you really like them…”  
He blushed slightly while looking back to her and back to the stars again.  
“Uhnm…thank you. For everything. I’m really glad to be here, Molly.”  
*Rooooonc*  
“Oh right…I didn’t have dinner…time to eat. Better to eat now before there is some kind of work to do…”  
William rushed to his basked and pulled it close to the fireplace, took a piece of meat and started to roast it by the fire with his sword.  
“Uhnm….this smells good…”  
While he waited, he started to eat a cupcake.  
“Uhhnm….hehehe…now this is life…*nhoc*”  
….  
Molly blushed and turned to the stars again. “Your eyes are fascinating, they seem to change colour  every time I see them, I do really like them…”  
She stepped away and walked back over to her bed where she then sat down. “I am glad you are here as well, I know I have said it before but I feel safer with you around.”  
“Uh William, would you being willing to share some of your food with me, I am rather hungry now.”  
….  
“Oooohhhh? Sharing my food with you? I can’t believe you’re asking…you’re way to polite…I’m your servant…you could simply take it.”  
He giggled.  
“Of course you can have it. There is bread, piece of cakes, meat…just use the sword as a spear to roast it, see? There is a lot of food I won’t even be able to have…there is too much. Take what you wish.”  
William took the wolf pelt like cover and placed on the floor, sitting on it and close to the fireplace.  
“Come here *pats pats the floor by his side* Let’s use the fireplace to warm ourselves….and the food.”  
Sherlock took more bread with butter and continued to eat.  
“I would gladly share the food with you.”  
The young man smiled brightly.  
“And I would gladly protect you too, Molly. Forever…  
You’re so kind to me…and…I really like you.”  
…..  
“I would  rather be polite, I mean yes you are my servant, but I would never just take something that is yours.” Molly smiled and sat next to him on the wolf pelt, sitting close to him.  
“Thank you so much William, the food smells all so good and I kind of wished I had eaten last night. What do you recommend that I should have first?”  
She shifted on the pelt and flinched, a sharp pain tearing through her bruised ribs. “Mmmmmmnnnnnnmm, ah  that hurts.” she said as she held a hand to her ribs. Trying to distract herself she smiled in slight pain at William.  “So you will protect me forever?” she asked in a teasing tone.  
….  
“Ah well…maybe you should have the sweet things first, they’re the best part and they feel great when you’re hungry…I prefer to choose in a quite random way since there are things here I never heard about.”  
He put some butter on the strawberry cupcake he was eating.  
“Uhnm…it seems everything matches with butter…this salty thing tastes great…”  
He started cutting small pieces of juicy roasted meat so he would give them to Molly.  
When she suddenly moved, touching her ribs, William held her shoulders with both hands, trying to turn her slightly so she would change into a better position.  
“Take it easy…don’t forget you’re still hurt. At least your eye is not black any more…just a bit…yeaaaah….just a bit bit. Tomorrow it will be better…and about your ribs…erm…I don’t know if I can do anything about it. Tell me if you have an order…suggestion…and…stuffffff….”  
He took a small piece of meat and guided it to Molly’s mouth with a fork he had taken.  
“Here. Eat. You’ll feel better.”  
Noticing how hard things were going for her, he put the piece of meat aside, hugged Molly and kissed her cheek several times, then taking the meat close to her mouth again.  
“Everything will get better. You’ll see. Even my wound on my neck is getting better.”  
He adjusted the piece of cloth he had over it.  
“Now, come on. Open that mouth…”  
When she let her teasing out, he let out a shy giggle, almost silent.  
“If we live forever…yes. I’ll protect you as long as my life lasts, princess…”  
One of his arms just waited while holding the fork with meat, his other arm closed his half opened dressing gown, adjusting it back to place.  
“I wanted to be so rich…so your parents would really allow us to get married…  
Since I’m not…you’ll have to wait for me to become rich…conquer your parents’ respect…so then we can stay together…as…as you want us to stay and…and then we’ll be able to…feel each other properly…and kiss each other…and…I don’t know…just have that feeling of…belonging to each other. I lived my life scared of all those emotions…but…I ended up facing things a lot worse in the end…and…you definitely aren’t one of them.”  
….  
Molly turned back into a better position with Williams help. “Mmpfh. yes well its a little hard to forget that I am hurt so I am certain I won’t. But thank you for helping me.”  
She bit the piece of meat off the fork and slowly chewed it, thinking over his words. “Then that is what we shall do William. You will get rich and I shall wait. Then we can get married. You are worth the wait William, you are worth the wait.” She placed her hand over his and smiled. “worth the wait.”


	8. Chapter 8

Five years later …  
Molly had just been to see her father where he had told her that she must find a husband to take over his titles and properties soon. She was certain her father was seeing his own mortality after the recent passing of her mother. As she walked, her thoughts went to William and a promise that they had made many years ago. William had succeeded in becoming wealthy and he was one of the richest men around now, so his part of the plan had worked …so far.  
As soon as she had heard what her father was asking, Molly had sent a messenger to find William and insist he wait for her in her chambers which was where she was heading to now.  
When she got there and saw him sitting calmly on her bed. “oh William, I think its time for you to ask my father for my hand, he is being rather in insistent that I get married and married fast.”  
…....  
He now had his own fortress, right by the side of Molly’s father’s castle. Obviously, the place wasn’t as big as the castle itself, but it was there that servants and other workers lived and produced, where others would sell and while others would study. A place focused in medicines and healing. And he was the one who had started it all.  
During the previous years, he had decided to focus on his objectives, working hard and reading as many medicine related books he could. Even spending less time with Molly, he would show up every day. Sometimes just for a meal together, other times he would spend the whole day with her…  
William had worked hard and had finally reached the status he wanted, but he didn’t know if they were enough for her father to accept.   
His usual quiet smile came out when he saw Molly, slightly sad as it had been for the last weeks.  
“Oh…marriage…yes. So it is time for you to get married…yes…your father is persistent. I guess I…I didn’t make in time…I…I took too long…didn’t I? W…well…it was…just a silly promise after all. I hope you’ll be happy with whoever you picked to marry with…”  
He paused and blinked rapidly.  
“W…wait…you said…time for ME to propose?? But I…I thought…I thought you were getting married to someone else…! A messenger told me two weeks ago your father had chosen a noble to marry you…and…”  
Sherlock scratched his head.  
“…and the other messenger a week ago said your father had things prepared…I…I didn’t ask you because…I thought…you didn’t want me any more…but…”  
He stood and clapped his hands once, in great joy, smiling so much.  
“YOU WAITED! HAHA!”  
He wanted to pull Molly into a hug, but he was just so energetic he would keep moving his hands in the air, close to his chest.  
“Ahhh Molly Molly Molly….what a great surprise this is…” He started to walk in circles.any more  
“I thought you were basically married…but nooo…you waited for me…and I didn’t propose until now because I thought you were already engaged! Stupid me! Stupid! Stupid! I should have asked you…”  
He finally went quiet.  
Cleaned his throat.  
Adjusted his clothes.  
Blink blink.  
Calm natural composure.  
“You were saying…?”  
…...  
Molly giggled and shook her head. “You silly man, of course I have not accepted marriage proposals that my father put in front of me, I said I would wait for you and that is what I did, so yes I would very much like it if you would ask my father. I mean you don’t even really need to ask me as my answer has always been yes.”  
She sat down next to him and kissed him tenderly on his cheek. “I would very much like to be your wife, so if you are still willing to marry me, I am still willing to marry you.” She smiled brightly and slipped his hand into hers.  
….....  
His almost grey eyes met hers when she sat so close.  
He just smiled, almost giggling with her.  
“Of course I still want to marry you! I waited for that for a long time as well…*worried sigh* I hope your father will accept me…uhnm….why do I have to ask your father? I’m not going to marry him, I’m going to marry you…”  
He caressed her cheek slowly, admiring her hair…her skin…he self.  
“You really grew up…didn’t you?”  
Oh he just wanted to get married and done. Why did he had to ask her father…just why? That was making him so nervous.  
“Molly…I don’t know what your father will do to me when I ask but…remember that…kiss you wanted? Five years ago?”  
William took a deep breath.  
“This could be our last chance to…kiss. Since…I don’t know if your father will accept me…so…if…if you want…you can…have that kiss you asked…and that I said I would wait you to get older…I…I love you, Molly.”  
…..  
She pushed a hair away from his forehead and smiled brightly. “Well I could ask him, but I would like you to be there with me if you could. And don’t worry, I think my father will accept you, I mean if he refuses its not like he is going to be able to find another man that I will be willing to marry.”  
“Really? Finally!” Molly very nearly pounced on Sherlock, wrapping her arms around his neck and smiling at him. “would you like to be the one who kisses first?”   
“I love you too William. Now please kiss me.” she said with a soft giggle.  
…..  
“Ri…right…erm…”  
He scanned her whole face.  
“…I never….did this before…now that I think about it…I….”  
Sherlock moved his eyes to the right, thinking about the past.  
“I….”  
He looked back to her.  
“I….I’m…”  
William suddenly seemed to have realized something.  
“…you….you really want to stay with me? Because…I…I’ve already felt so many…so many things…and…none of them had any kind of love I mean…”  
And he felt so lost.  
“Molly…”  
Her arms around him felt so good. So warm.  
But his body was somehow moving back, he didn’t quite knew why, or maybe knew, but wanted to fool himself.  
“I mean…”  
His eyes wanted to stay so close to her, but his chest and back would keep wanting to move behind, as if wanting to get rid of her hands around him, that he actually wanted to feel so close.  
“T…this time…I mean…ah….”  
He gulped, becoming a bit pale.  
William indeed wasn’t ordering his body to try to move away, but it just would seem to be trying to run away from there.  
“Ahh…”  
Through his eyes passed so many scenes which had started in the same way, but only hurt him.  
His breathing intensified, he shook his head and wrapped his arms around Molly, as if commanding his body to calm down.  
“I love you….I love you….I love you….”  
His eyes seemed to be focusing nowhere when he kissed her cheek, then the corner of her lips, then finally her lips.  
“I love you….I love you…”  
His face was so cold, so were his hands, his chest was tense, like his stomach.  
“I’ll…I’ll propose…yes…but…even if I…even if I have money now…even if I did it all…even if….that doesn’t change anything…I wanted it to have changed everything but it changed nothing!”  
His skin became more pale, as if despair had started to take over him.  
“It doesn’t matter how I dress like….it *pants* it doesn’t matter what I do….even if I can pretend to be something else to those who don’t know me…you father does…*sob* your father does know everything! And he will never allow us to stay together because he knows about everything!”  
He started to shake, letting go of her, tears started to roll down his face.  
“I tried to lie to myself all these years…as if everything that happened to me had been just a dream…as if I had…as if…I mean…”  
He grabbed his own hair with one of his hands for a moment, almost covering half of his face.  
His shirt slipped a bit.  
By the upper part of his shoulder, the place he had himself cut with his blade five years ago, a surprise.  
There was that old scar, from those five years ago, but above that scar there were more and more and more. Scar over scar. And right on the same place, the slavery burn mark. Right there. Untouched.   
“It won’t go away….no matter what I do!’  
More tears came out, like water breaking a so long closed wall.  
"Your father knows who I am…he knows everything I ever did, everything that people already did to me and everything….everything…”  
He would shake his head as if signing ‘no’ for something.  
“You are so…so naive….so innocent….you…you don’t deserve something like me! Everyone in that castle would simply laugh at you, even if I pretend to be a man I am not…a rich arrogant person…they know who I am…and they…they will just laugh at you for picking me! Because they just used me over and over and over and over again and just threw me away! And you want that trash for you! That is, me! Why??”  
He held his head, covering his face with both hands.  
His heart racing.  
“Sorry…just…sorry…I…I wanted to say this so long ago…in their faces! Part of me loves you so much…and part of me wants to be the…this fake thing I created for myself…I…sorry…sorry…”  
He wanted to hug her, he almost did, but his eyes lost focus and he almost fainted, holding the bed, trying to remain awake.  
….  
Molly sighed happily when Sherlock finally kissed her, it was just right for their first one and Molly hoped there would be more in the future like it. “Oh William I love you too.”  
She listened calmly to his ramblings, knowing he was just feeling panicked as he spoke, but she knew it would be alright so she let him get all his worries out. When he had exhausted himself, Molly slipped in behind him on the bed and  lowered them down until his head was resting against her chest.  She slowly ran her fingers through his hair and hummed softly and soothingly to him.  
“Okay William, my turn to explain a few things to you. Number one I love you and nothing is  going to change that. Also I have had five years to consider all you have just said myself and I do not care about any of it, as long as I have you by my side, people will talk because they Always talk, but they are just idiots and it is better to ignore them. Besides I would be more then happy to live in your home rather than this castle which cuts down interactions between us and the stupid nobles.”  
She shook her head and pulled him up until they were so close their noses were touching. “You are not trash.” She said in a soft tone. “I love you immensely and would be devastated if I had to marry another. You are who I want to marry and nothing you say or do will ever change that.”

…..  
His eyes just widened as he heard her words, more silent tears rolled down his face, as he kept his eyes closed, feeling for the first time that love from her fingers running through his hair.  
William just let out a long low moan when she pulled him up and wrapper his arms around her, smelling her scent.  
He touched her nose with his and kissed her lips again, slowly, loving that moment so much.  
“Live somewhere else? Like…in my own castle? It is pretty neat and clean inside…the floor is made with ivory and there is a big garden with a pond behind it. You’ll love there…uhnnmm….I wish we could stay like this forever…so close…we can finally…*kiss* stay like this after all.”  
He finally smiled and sat.  
“Right Take me to your father. I need to convince him to allow me marry you! Let’s go, Molly.”

….  
Molly threaded her fingers through his curls as he kissed her, a soft moan emitting from her body.  
“I would be very happy to live in your castle, I can’t stand this one at times, there are too many ghosts here, figuratively and possibly literally. Your castle sounds amazing.” Molly giggled and kissed him back again.  
“Well once we are married we can do this whenever we want without people telling us it is wrong or anything and we  can do what ever we want my love.” Molly sat up awkwardly and nodded, smiling at William.”Alright.” She slipped her hand into his and lead the way  to her fathers office. She announced them through the door and gestured for William to lead her inside.


End file.
